It Seems So Wrong, It Feels So Right
by riahbobiah
Summary: Marlene McKinnon never imagined this is how her wedding day would be. It's the summer before her 7th year, and she's getting married to a Slytherin... while still in love with Sirius! How can this seem so wrong, but feel so right? Romance, action, and drama. POV through eyes of multiple characters, including the Marauders. [Complete. Edits still possible.]
1. Chapter One

"Dad… Why does mother hate everyone from the Seam?"

Peeta's face had a fresh welt on it; his mother had hit him with her rolling pin an hour before his father arrived at home. Carefully spreading the herbal salve on his son's cheek, Mr. Mellark sighed.

"There is only one answer to that question, Peeta. It's her pride."

* * *

><p><em>My name is Lynnetta Flaxbourne. I am fifteen years old. My home is District 12. My parents own the textile shop in town. And I love a boy who lives in the Seam.<em>

**Chapter 1**

"If you don't plait your hair before school, you'll look as bad as those kids from the Seam. Do it yourself or get over here. I can't wait around on you all morning! Your father needs help unloading fabric from the train."

"Why does it matter what I look like at school? We're all covered in coal dust from the mines, anyway!"

"A slap from her hand stings on my cheek. I should have stayed silent. Her voice raises as she pushes me down on the stool in front of her.

"Lynnetta Rose! I've never heard you say something so ridiculous! You and I both know that we are completely different from them. There is no shame in being proud of who you are. Your father's parents made the difficult social climb from Seam workers to live as merchants. Thanks to their labors, you deserve to look better than those scavenging children. Are you not grateful for your grandparents' hard work? Do you want to throw all their hardships back in their faces?"/

My mother continues, yanking my blonde hair into a tight braid down my back.

"I simply cannot believe that my own daughter could say such a thing. And after all your father and I have done to provide for you, you think being separated from the Seam doesn't matter? Overcoming struggles to survive, to make a better life, putting the odds in your favor when no one else has the will to even try it, Lynnetta... That's why it matters!"/

Her hands stop fidgeting with my hair, and I feel her smoothing out a wrinkle in my shirt./

"There. All done. Put your coat on, and get going. You mustn't be late again!"

I know in my heart that what she says about the importance of my family rising from the ashes is true, but I hate the way she talks so primly about it. I hate that she is so grounded on her belief that we are completely different from the people in the Seam. I might have a little more food on my plate, but my clothes are still thin and drab, the roof over my head still leaky, and my body still small and weak.

* * *

><p>I arrive at the boxy schoolhouse, sliding into my worn, wooden seat just before the teacher enters the room. She writes a list on the board, what we will learn today. I know what it will say before the chalk touches the wall: more about the coal mining process.<p>

You would think that learning the same thing over and over would make you an expert. I should have every fact about District 12 memorized by now. Still, school is hard for me. Truthfully, I'm not particularly good at anything. I can't figure math in my head. I can't remember dates in history. I can't sing or play instruments. And, like everybody else, I have a hard time focusing on the long lectures on coal and Panem, day in and day out. My father told me I had to try my best to get good marks. He said it was very important to be smart, that it would show me the value in myself. Sometimes I wonder what that even means. If I'm no good at anything, what good is trying? He expects me to be perfect, and I do my best, but I am always afraid that he knows I have failed him.

Today we listen to a lecture over the benefits of coal. It's so exciting that I can hardly keep my eyes open as my head bobs up and down in fatigue.

* * *

><p>After school is over, I scan the wintry yard, searching for him. He is waiting for me by the edge of the rickety fence encompassing the school. My eyes trace his familiar face, his square jaw, olive skin, hair as black as night. I near him, and my body aligns itself next to the fence. We face opposite directions, him towards the schoolyard and I towards at the ashy street, as his words drift their way over the fence to my ears.<p>

"Lynn, fancy seeing you here…" Markas whispers. Although I can't see it, I hear the smile in his voice as I look at past the fence.

"I'm shocked at your apparent arrogance," I grin, biting my lip.

I walk a few paces ahead of him, to keep suspicion down. The Capitol only knows what would happen if my father found out I was meeting up with a boy from the Seam every day. We kept our eyes searching for both Peace Keepers and parents on our way to the Victor's Village. It's the perfect spot to hide, the only person who is ever around is Haymitch, the victor of last year's 50th Hunger Games, but he left this morning for his Victory Tour. Knowing that we have the deserted area to ourselves, we settle ourselves on the frozen ground, leaning against the back of an empty house. A long period of watching the wind swirling around broken leaves ensues before Markas finally breaks the silence.

It's weird to think that someone actually lives over here now..."

His forehead wrinkles in thought as his words continue quietly.

"You know, Haymitch winning was probably the worst thing that ever happened to District 12…", he mutters, carefully keeping his volume below the sound of the wind.

I know what Markas means. It's eerily empty in the Victor's Village. Haymitch is the 2nd victor to ever come from District 12, and the last victor died before we were born. This past Hunger Games was a Quarter Quell, spelling out disaster for each of the districts. Four tributes from each were pulled instead of two this year. It was bad enough that we lost three others in the games last year, but as soon as Haymitch won, Luisa and Alger Abernathy - his mother and brother, disappeared overnight, along with his girlfriend of two years, Genever Whishart. Everyone assumed they had gone to congratulate him after the win, but when Haymitch returned home after the games, they did not.

"Genever was my closest thing to a best friend," I comment. I don't really have any friends, but what I said was correct. Most of the merchant kids in my year were mourning the loss Maysilee Donner, another tribute who had died in the Quell, but the two of us had never been close. Genever, on the other hand, had eaten with me at lunch everyday, occasionally coming to my house to spend time with me, and vise versa. I thought about mentioning to Markas that Genever always disapproved of me liking him, she thought it was wrong to disobey my parents obvious wishes, but thought better of it before opening my mouth. We did not need anymore attention on those against us, not when we were fighting so hard to be together.

When we're together, mostly Markas and I just sit in silence. Sometimes he kisses me, and I gladly kiss back. This outing was no exception. His lips and my lips move together, the chilly air encroaching in on our warmth. Everything feels right when I'm with him. Soon, it starts to get dark. Markas stands up and offers me his hand. Pulling me up, he draws me in for one final kiss. After a few more seconds, he leads me back back towards town. We sneak out of the Victor's Village; myself heading towards the town center, Markas traveling towards the Seam.

**AN: What do you think so far? I have always hated the idea that Mrs. Mellark is as evil as other FF's portray her, and this is my response. Any comments, questions, and feedback appreciated, especially constructive criticism. Please, please review! And thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2 - On the Way Back To Where We Belong

"Lil's, this is great! We are so proud of you! But realistically... come on! We all knew you would get it, right?" Laura's auburn curls bounced around her shoulders as she happily chattered on, and the other girls in her compartment continued to nod their heads eagerly in agreement.

"Stop it! Stop! You know I can't stand it when you gush at me! I do not want to let this get to my head. Not when I need to be so... respected…" Lily said the last word with gusto as she adjusted her posture, puffing out her chest a few centimeters. The compartment burst into giggles. When Lily recovered her composure, she began to speculate. "Wow, though! I wonder who Head Boy is...probably Remus, you think? I hope so… What if its that Hufflepuff, Bones... ugh!" Lily shook her head in dismay.

"It could be worse! A Slytherin could be made head boy! It's happened before, you know," Laura's sarcasm appeared in her freckled face as well as her words.

"Nah... The only option would be.. who? Severus? Not likely. He's so stuck up now… It would cause a riot. I bet Remus. It has to be Remus. Who could beat out Remus?"

Christiana stared out the window, humming a mellow tune and watching the rain fall onto objects blurred out by the speed of the train. Lily was one of her best friends in the entire world. But she couldn't help but get a little jealous. If Lily got Head Girl, Chris was sure that Remus was Head Boy. And that meant Lily and Remus would spend a lot of time together. Time in which she would not get to see either one of them. It was one thing if one of them was off doing Head duties, but both of them? And no late night fireside conversations with Remus anymore. No, he would probably go up to the Head Dorm after supper. She sighed as she looked around the compartment. She looked around again; something was definitely off. It took her awhile to realize it, but Marlene was nowhere to be found. Of course, since she was not the most talkative, her absence was missed at first. In the silence, Chris was not the only one who had noticed. Lily looked up from the badge in her hands, confused, and asked, "Where did Marlene-"

At that moment the door to the compartment slid open.

Marlene stood in the doorway, a tad disheveled, her left hand shoved into her pocket. She crossed the compartment and sat down across from Chris, a smile pasted on her face. "Congrats, Lil's! I've only heard just a moment ago! You and Jamesiepoo! Head Boy and Girl! This year'll be fun, eh?"

"No."

The word came across loud and flat, and Lily looked around, trying to find some hint of a prank. Her friends in the compartment stayed silent, until her fumbling hand opened the door. She ran down the hall to the Head Compartment. Sitting inside was Remus, reading a book as usual.

"Oh good. It's you!" She laughed. "Marlene played this awful trick and actually tried to tell us that JAMES was Head Boy! Imagine that. Never."

Remus continued to read _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ as he spoke.

"Oh, he is. He merely wanted to surprise you. That's all."

"FAN-TAS-TIC!"

The head of James Potter appeared, floating in midair in the center of the small room. Lily tried to wipe away the tears that flooded her eyes, but James expression showed that he had seen them. Remus quietly slipped out of the compartment to find Peter and Sirius. Lily sat down on the red cushioned bench and stared up at James. Why was this always happening to her? For years she had been doing everything to avoid him. His pranks. His flirting. Even him standing up for her. And over those years, he began to grow on her. He listened to her now, as a friend. He apologized or asked to help when she got upset. He was generous, loyal, and extremely talented. But he also avoided maturity and got quite big-headed at times. And if he knew she liked him one little bit, everything she tried so hard to maintain would be ruined. Now she had to spend every day with him, or at least it seemed like it. Lily took a deep breath. She was going to keep her pride and if she fell, well at least she'd go down with her head still firmly on her shoulders. James sat down beside her as she gazed into space, lost in thought. And for the first time, she didn't get up or push him away.

* * *

><p>Back in the girls' compartment, Chris's face struggled to relax, while she filled with joy inside. Remus was unable to find Peter anywhere, and Sirius was currently off tormenting Snape, so he had wandered into their room and took a seat in between Chris and Laura. He was now catching the girls up with James, "Yes, for the third time, he definitely is Head Boy", and how the poor bloke had surprised Lily into tears. When Remus finished with his story, he paused for a moment, then opened up his book and began to read. Remus felt Chris's eyes resting on him, so he leaned over and held the book up so that they both could see it. Chris settled her brown, narrow chin happily against his shoulder, and began to read a section halfway down the page about grindylows. On the other side of the small little room, Marlene sat silently, shoving her left hand, the one that held her wedding ring, deeper and deeper into the pocket of her robes.<p>

Marlene's thoughts raced through her mind. No one here could know what had happened to her only a week ago. No one. And she knew it happened, but not why. Why not? Because Dumbledore said so? He refused to tell her why! Was it Walden's idea? What would Dumbledore have to gain from that? What could he possibly have meant by "grave danger"? Was Macnair in danger too? Did he like her? She assumed not, that this probably was not so great for him either. But why had she agreed to this? That was still obvious each time she asked herself - because she trusted the Headmaster with her life. But Macnair hung out with the Pure Blood supremacists… he was supposed to be one of her soul-sworn enemies! She was a Gryffindor! So what? The houses used to get along... and she was in danger… it was worth it.. right? Okay then, so why could she not know how or why or anything? Nothing made sense! In a mad storm she got up, stomped off to the nearest empty compartment, sat down and tried to gather her composure. It was no use, her thoughts kept her full of energy, so she left her attempts at composure in the compartment and went to go find answers instead.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3 - Different Compartments

Marlene heard a villainous cackle leaking out of a compartment a few doors down. She strode down the hall, opened the door, and stared right at Walden, who was sitting beside Alecto Carrow. If you could call it beside - Alecto was almost on his lap.

"You. Me. Now. I need to talk to you. Alone."

Marlene tried to swallow, but her throat was painfully dry as she focused her eyes on Macnair. The rest of the compartment stared back at her. There was Walden and Alecto on one side, and Alecto's younger brother Amycus on the other. Alecto narrowed her gaze at Marlene and began twirling her fingers through Walden's hair.

"Why would he talk to you? Do you think because you can score filthy blood-traitor Black that you're the pure-blood seducer of the century? Think you can steal him to write your papers this year?"

Marlene held her silent stare.

"What? No answer? Get out, we don't want you here, do we Amycus?"

The brutish boy looked up idly from the book of hexes in his lap and sighed. Marlene remained in her position, arms crossed, until Alecto stood up and began to threaten her. Walden got up stiffly and pushed past Alecto, out of the compartment. As he closed the door behind him, he loudly complained, "This better be important, scum," his cold eyes locked on Marlene.

Still aggravated, and freshly upset by the insult, Marlene dragged him into the empty compartment she had tried to calm down in moments earlier. She firmly slid shut the wooden door behind them. As she heard the lock click, tears spilled down her face. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and firmly spoke to Macnair in a low, hoarse whisper.

"I can't handle this anymore. I thought I was doing the right thing, but Merlin, I have never been more confused in my life. What good is a secret marriage anyway? Why can you not just... tell me why? Why all of this is happening?"

Silence.

"Walden!"

Now she was getting livid. Her whisper quickened into a stream of sharp consonants as her anger increased.

"Tell me now, or I'll shout this damn secret down the hall of the train. And then everyone will know! Tell me answers right now - this very second! Don't I deserve to know what the hell is going on in my life right now?"

Quietly, he looked up at Marlene. His face was not concerned, but not annoyed either. Simply... there. Walden's mouth opened to speak, but he said nothing. After a long silence, he sighed, and careful words slowly whispered out of his mouth.

"I can't tell you. Everything I know is sworn to secrecy. I promised not to tell you, yet. Believe me, I know very little anyway. This is pretty much all Dumbledore. I'm just doing what I was told."

"You know, I am personally not alright with this whole you and me thing. Or you taking out your frustration on me. You signed up for this, you deal with the repercussions."

Then, as if to prove that he was incapable of being a normal human being, he added, "And so you know for absolute certain, you are not my wife because I or my mother wanted you to be!"

Marlene sat down across from his and fingered her wedding ring.

"Oh ehrm... I saw you hiding your hand in the other compartment. That ring, you know - no one else can see it. Or at least, they won't notice it anyway - they'll think nothing of it. Will never ask about it either. Some spell by Dumbledore. So you can get over hiding your hand... It looks ridiculous all shoved in your pocket."

Marlene stayed silent, her fingertips learning and relearning the curves of her diamond. After a few moments, Walden spoke again.

"I have got to get back there, they'll wonder where I am. It looks suspicious, me and you, talking in front of other people. Try not to stir up trouble, and maybe Dumbledore can fill us in on all this later when no one else is around. No one can know, not yet. Don't let time and stress go to waste. Behave."

Marlene watched with vengeful eyes as he stiffly rose and unlocked the door.. She slumped onto the floor with a sigh as the door slammed shut behind him. She could hear the voice of the witch with the trolley stopping a few compartments away, decided that meant it was time to get up, and was headed back towards her friends when she felt a strong hand grab her by the arm and yank her into a near-by compartment.

Before she could scream, Marlene felt a hand sneak around her head and clasp around her mouth.

"Shhh, doll. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. Guess who?"

As if the words had a soothing effect on her, Marlene immediately felt the tenseness in her muscles fade away. His arms wrapped their way around her waist. Silently laughing, she turned around to face the dark haired, mysterious boy that she knew so well.

"What do you want, Sirius?"

"Well, I was hoping to get in a little snogging before we arrived at the school."

"Uhm... I think not," Marlene laughed nervously at his seduction attempt.

"Something wrong?" he said, his eyebrows furrowed in a look of concern. A small smile played on his lips as the back of his rough hand gently stroked the side of her cheek.

Marlene found herself turning away from him, and she thought about how much she had loved this stuff… last year.

"N-nothing. Look, I just-"

A sigh escaped her lips before she began again.

"Sirius. There is no way I can do this anymore. Over the summer, I got over you. I'm done with this... With you."

Marlene's thoughts began to bombard her, giving her a terrible headache. Liar. You know you miss him. But he did break your heart. Without thinking twice he wrenched it out and stomped all over it. It is better this way. Being without him. Being alone.

Not alone. Married.

The last word echoed in her mind as she exited the compartment, leaving Sirius in confusion.

* * *

><p>At long last, the train slowed to a stop at the station in Hogsmeade. James and Lily clamoured out before the rest of the school had time to grab their trunks, and the two began to direct students towards the carriages. A fourth year Ravenclaw was so excited to get off the train on the car behind them that she tripped on her way out, resulting in a scrape on her knee. Lily noticed the girl's eyes glazing over with delight as James jogged over to her and quickly healed her leg. He certainly had an effect on people. She didn't have time to ponder this thought though, as a few lost first years tugged on her robes, asking if they were really supposed to follow Hagrid, or if it was a trick.<p>

"Of course not! Hagrid will take care of you, run along!" she responded, scanning the platform for any other lost students.

Finally, all the students had cleared off the Hogwarts Express.

"Suppose we should check the cars, don't you?" Potter called to her as he walked in the direction of the train.

Sometimes, he could be so sensible. Lily rolled her eyes at his air of arrogance mixed with responsibility. Still, she went back through the cars with him to double check each compartment, making sure no one was left behind and nothing was forgotten. After every car was completely clear, they hopped into the back of the last carriage of the evening, already full of their waiting friends. The group of Gryffindors chattered on as the sun left the sky and they drew nearer to Hogwarts. Oddly enough, Peter was still nowhere to be found.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter 4**

"The Seam usually produces one type of people, Lynnetta," my father says as we watch the mandatory broadcasting of the 42nd Hunger Games. I'm 8 years old. It's the second day in the games, and the boy from District Twelve has already been killed. We only have one tribute left. My father directions his attention to me as he continues.

"The people from the Seam are the type of people who just get by. They are ill-mannered, course, and often do not care about anyone outside of their own family. They only try hard enough to survive, because that's all they can ever fathom doing. The Seam is a terrible, disgusting place, that no one should have to endure, but alas, that is not the case in reality."

"Not everyone from the Seam is like that, papa! What about Grandfather and Grandmother?"

"You're right, angel. The roughness and cruelness of the Seam can also produce another type of person. It's not very often, but if the person works hard enough, if they don't give up, they can rise from the ashes. Those few people are the fighters. Just like my parents fought."

"How did they fight? Papa, how did they do it?"

"They always thought out their choices. By following the rules, they kept the Peacekeepers on their good side. By working hard, they were able to get the best shifts in the mines. By taking on extra jobs besides working in the mines, they were able to save up some money. By being good on their word, they became more respected in society. By waiting to have a child until they were sure they could take care of it, they made sure that I would not have to grow up in the Seam. They put the odds in their favor, Lynnetta. In our favor."

"Why doesn't everyone in the Seam do what they did? It doesn't sound hard, papa."

My gaze locks into his grey eyes as they search to find an answer that I will understand.

"Sweetie, it is hard. It's very, terribly hard. And that's why people in the Seam stay in the Seam. Working two jobs is difficult. Waiting to start a family with the one you love is also tough. Like I said before, the Seam usually produces only one type of people. The fighters are few and far between. For the most part, the Seam is a hopeless place."

A cannon fires on the black and white television set in front of us. The last tribute from our district, an older girl who came from the Seam, has just fallen.

"That's what happens to people from the Seam, Lynnetta. If they're not fighters, they die all too quickly."

* * *

><p>"Mom, this is my friend, Lynnetta."<p>

A thin woman with long, curly, dark hair stands facing us from behind a large wash bin, trying to scrub the black soot from a threadbare, grey shirt. Upon hearing Markas's introduction, she looks up, sets the clothing to the side, and embraces me with her wiry arms. Not sure how to react, my hands lightly touch the small of her back. Immediately, I wish I hadn't. The woman is so underweight that her bones protrude from her skin, and I can feel them through her dress. When she releases me from the hug, my hands clasp behind my back, afraid of what else they might experience in such a dismal place.

A musky, moldy smell fills my nostrils as I look around. Markas's home is more accurately described as a shack than a house - one room, no larger than my kitchen and living room at home. The furniture inside is crammed against the walls, and leaves little room for walking around. The room holds two beds, a fireplace with a pot for cooking, a small dresser, a set of rickety dining furniture, and the three-foot-high basin that Mrs. Fenly was washing clothing in. I assume the basin is used for taking baths as well, and I can only guess at where they relieve their bodily functions. Everything has a thick layer of coal dust on it, and it's hard to imagine Markas living in such awful conditions.

"Lynnetta, it's so wonderful to meet you. Welcome to our home. Please, sit. Reya will be back any moment."

Markas and I each take a seat; the grimy chair wobbles under my weight. The door swings open to reveal a small girl who looks to be around 12 years old, her head covered with dark curly hair like her mother's.

"Reya, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Lynnetta. She came all the way over here just to meet you and mom."

"Good to meet you, Lynnetta," Markas's sister addresses me cautiously.

Still in shock from the eye-opening place I find myself in, a nod in her direction is the only response I give. Her eyes narrow and stay focused on me as she walks around the room, perching herself on one of the beds. I'm glad Markas hadn't introduced me as his girlfriend, because his little sister is already clearly trying to burn a hole through my head with her stare. Thankfully, Mrs. Fenly breaks the awkward silence by striking up casual discussion with Markas.

"So, how was school today dear?"

"Boring and uneventful as always, mom."

"What did you learn about?"

"Coal, mom. What did you expect?"

I sit uncomfortably in the dirty, wooden chair through the rest of the afternoon, listening to Markas and his mother, and not uttering a single word. That is, until I notice the position of the sun.

"I should probably leave soon, to get home in time for supper," I say.

"You could stay, if you like," Mrs. Fenly offers.

The thought of staying in the cramped shack for much longer makes me dizzy, but I don't want Markas to know how awful I feel inside.

"My mother would be upset if I didn't come home to eat. It's our family time."

Markas offers to walk me part of the way home, and I gladly accept. The exhausted coal miners are filling the streets of the Seam with black, on their ways home from work, and it feels like I can't get away from the scene fast enough. I use the setting sun as an excuse to half-walk, half-jog. After Markas leaves me and turns around to go back home, my stride breaks into a run. I let my feet fly beneath me, only slowing down a few blocks away from home to slow my heavy breathing. Gasping for air, I close my eyes and try to unsee the world in which Markas belongs.

* * *

><p>All night and morning, thoughts of the Seam drift through my mind. The dirt and filth beyond what I could ever have imagined. The hungry faces of the people living there. And especially the fiery glare of Markas's sister. The look on her face was more than dislike, it was hatred. So as Markas and I walk towards the Victor's Village the next day, curiosity gets the best of me.<p>

"Markas, tell me the truth. Does Reya hate me?"

"What?"

He stops and turns to look at me, placing his hands in mine.

"Lynn, why in Panem would you think my sister hates you? She only just met you yesterday!"

"Yeah, but did you see the way she glared at me the whole time I was there?"

It's obvious that he did see it, because he takes a while before answering, and when he does answer, his eyes won't meet mine.

"It's just that… Reya and I are very close. We sort of tell each other everything, so she kind of already knew about how I felt about you…"

"So she hated me before she met me?"

"No! No, that's not it at all. She was just expecting you to be someone... different."

"Different how? I hardly said a word! Like you said, she only just met me!"

"Yeah, but, Lynn… you're... blonde."

His words shift me off balance.

"What? You've got to be kidding me! She doesn't like me because of my hair color? Isn't that a little over the top?"

"Lynn, what do you want me to say? You're parents are merchants, and your looks don't disguise it. And you're right, you were so shy around her and my mother that you hardly said a word. Reya just doesn't know you yet, and so yes, I'll bet she's probably making assumptions about you. But the more time you spend with her, with us, the more she'll grow to like you. Just like I learned to like you when we were put in the same remedial history class."

Markas pauses to clasp his hands around mine.

"Trust me, just give it time."

"Fine. But I still think she's a bit ridiculous."

"I won't disagree with you. So why not give Reya a chance to get to know you? Let's hang out with her in the meadow tomorrow."

The meadow is a patch of grass between the Seam and the electric fence that surrounds District 12 to keep wild animals out. To get to the meadow, I would have to walk through the Seam. I can tell Markas is beginning to sense my uneasiness, so I quickly skim my brain for a response.

"The meadow, Markas? Won't someone see?"

"No one that matters would see. And Reya always enjoys a trip to the meadow. We could have a contest to see who can build the best snowperson."

"But, isn't it supposed to be really cold tomorrow? We could get sick."

"Don't worry, we play in the snow all the time. We'll be fine."

Finally, out of excuses, I agree to Markas's plan, the pitting feeling in my stomach growing stronger by the second.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If you've read this far, I would love to hear comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism. Thanks in advance!<strong>


	5. Chapter Five

Chpt. 5 - Where Were Lily & James During All of This?

It was the day after arriving at Hogwarts, and Lily woke up in a strange room, decorated elegantly with curtains her favorite shade of dusty pink. A floating canopy fluttered over her head and around the sides of the king sized mattress. A Gryffindor tapestry hung on the wall opposite her bed. To the right of her was a large window that reached the full length of her wall, and had a comfy window seat at the bottom of it. The view was amazing. The room was apparently high in Gryffindor tower, because Lily could see the shimmering lake and the Whomping Willow, looking absolutely majestic, from her window. She still wished she knew exactly where she was, though. After getting ready in the bathroom connected to the chamber room, Lily opened the main door.

"Hullo, Evans, sleep well?", Lily heard a handsome voice drift up to her. How a voice could be drifting up? Looking around, the Head Girl realized that she was standing on a balcony overlooking a room the size of her old dormitory. Tipping her small body over the railing, she saw a man with untidy hair standing in the room below her. No wait, not a man - only a boy. An idiotic boy. Oh, who was she trying to fool? If James Potter climbed the stairs up to where she was standing, Lily would have surely kissed him, letting herself melt into his strong Quidditch arms. But alas, James merely stared up at her, grinning stupidly.

Finally, Lily realized that this must be the Head Dorm, which also meant that she had just been in her room. She started to jump up and down excitedly; a small squeal of pleasure even escaped her lips. In a blur of red hair, she flew down the stairs that ran along the side of the wall, gave James's shoulders a quick, enthusiastic squeeze, and skipped out the door.

* * *

><p>James stood there in the middle of the Head Dorm, trying to process what had happened. Apparently, it had to have been something very, very good, if it got a reaction as childishly giddy as that one out of Evans. He recalled the events from last night, especially dwelling on the part where Lily was so tired that she fell asleep in the Gryffindor common-room, and James got to carry her all the way to her bed. He remembered the rush of feeling her in his arms, the silent struggle inside him when all of his efforts were put into not kissing her forehead before leaving her room, and the long minutes he spent watching her sleep before he could bring himself to go.<p>

The Quidditch Captain ruffled his dark hair, threw on his robes, and headed down to the Great Hall. After a breakfast surrounded by gossipy, try-hard firth years and attractive, flirtatious sixth years, he was relieved to see it was almost time for class. James picked up his books from the Gryffindor table and made his way down to Slughorn's classroom. Locating his friends, he sat down in the empty seat next to Sirius. James began rumpling his hair nervously as he looked around for Lily. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her red hair settling into the seat immediately before him.

"Great spot, Padfoot. What luck!" he said quietly, and he meant it. James Potter found himself in the seat right beside his best mate, right in front of his other two best mates, and right behind his dream girl.


	6. Chapter Six

Chpt. 6 - First Of The Last

Laura was glad that she had taken a seat in front of Sirius, although Lily seemed a little upset. Chris, and Av beside her, were only an aisle away, but Laura could tell from the grimace on her face that Lily really did not want to sit in front of James. Laura knew it was because of Lily's annoyance with him, but they were all friends and Laura figured that if the two of them were going to be spending so much time together, Lily had to get used to it eventually. So there she sat, listening to Sirius voice while he conversed with James as they worked on the cauldrons beside them. The slurs of his vowels, the crisp "T's" and the soft breath she could almost feel on her neck: each gave her chills and butterflies in a different place. Slowly, she let her mind slip away from the boiling potion in front of her, and his words became seductions, meant only for herself. She was only half concentrating on stirring her Emotionless Potion when he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Hey, can I borrow some earwig eggs?" Caught by surprise, Laura almost fell out of her chair. She turned around awkwardly and proceeded to pass him a brown glass jar full of cloudy white insect eggs.

"Thanks," Sirius muttered, placing the jar on his desk. When he looked back up, he found himself staring straight into Laura's eyes. They were so close that his body gave a lurch, almost as if Prongs had swiftly kicked him in the gut (a sensation he knew all too well). Oddly, Sirius felt it was the first time in his life that he had ever truly looked at Laura's eyes. He wasn't sure how he had missed their spectacular beauty. They were a bright, vivid purple. How could he possibly never notice it before now? What had his mind been so occupied on to miss such a striking trait? For a girl, she was definitely one of his closest friends, and always had been. She lived next door to James (and him, now that he thought about it, since he had somewhat recently moved in) for her entire life. She had been there when he left his home and renounced his family. She was there when he needed someone to vent to and James just wasn't enough. She had been there longer than Peter, even. She had heard plenty of his stories of endless etiquette training and attempted pureblood brainwashing from his mother, stories that often ended in a beating, and she had seen some of his bruises. Before he knew it, he felt his nose bump into hers, followed by a soft pressure on his lips, and he felt his arms reaching out in front of him to grab her. An ache began somewhere deep in his body. As Sirius pulled her up over his desk, knocking over the glass jar and a few other extra ingredients, his hands began to memorize her figure. His hunger for her overwhelmed him as her warm breath mingled with his, lips churning, completely ignoring the prods from James and the chorus of snickering classmates around them.

* * *

><p>Marlene looked up from her potions book to see what the commotion was. It took her awhile to realize what was going on, but her heart dropped as she recognized Laura and Sirius locked in a tight embrace. Part of her tried to be strong. Part of her was about to dump her pot of finished Emotionless Potion on them. As she reached for her cauldron, she felt a hand grab hers, stopping it from gripping the pewter it grasped for. At first, Marlene assumed it was Anavia, but before she looked to her right she knew that it was someone else. Macnair looked at her with caring eyes. In attempt to stop the tears that were welling up inside her, Marlene held onto his hand even tighter, without planning on letting go. To her surprise, Walden tightened his grip on her hand as well, quickly slipped her out of the classroom, and led her down a dark dungeon passageway that she had never seen before.<p>

"I'm really sorry you had to see that. I know you fancy him. And actually, I am sorry about a lot of things."

"I think we might need to get to know each other, Walden."

"I know...I know... Dumbledore said we..." he trailed off.

"I mean...if we're going to make this work… whatever this is... Dumbledore surely thought we would know what to do... why else would he... why else would we be..."

Marlene gulped, she could not bring herself to say the word. Luckily, she didn't have to...

Walden pulled her in closer, and Marlene began to shake. Tears spilled from her eyes as she rested her head on his chest. He was really warm. Funny... she had been somehow imagining him to be colder, like stone. And he was sturdy, like she imagined. Her wavering body collapsed against his robes in a fit of emotion. Stroking her long, silky hair, he was just what she needed, and that was when realized Dumbledore was absolutely right when he told her she had nothing to fear.

**AN: How do you feel about the shipping aAnd his point? What do you think will happen later on in the story? I'm curious to find out, even if you just started reading the story! Thanks for getting this far -I hope you continue and please review! Constructive criticism greatly appriciated!**


	7. Chapter Seven

Chpt. 7 - My Heart Will Go On

Soon after a dazed Slughorn realized what was going on in the middle of his class, the chimes rang for class to end. The Gryffindor group waited a moment, but ended up leaving Sirius and Laura in the classroom. Slughorn, knowing how important teenage relationships are, coughed and muttered something about going to his office before exiting the room. While the Gryffindors were walking up the dungeon steps, Anavia noticed Chris staring at Remus. Strangely, Chris's bag ripped open at the same time the Anavia used her wand to brush her hair from her face.

Everyone was so distracted by their own thoughts that Remus was the only one to notice her books tumbling to the stone floor, and subsequently, the only one to stop and help her. As they both reached for the Astronomy book a few feet away, their hands touched. Chris snatched her hand back, while Remus's lingered a little longer. Chris turned away and rolled her eyes, not the way one rolls their eyes at another person's ignorance, but they way you might roll your eyes when you are sad and you've missed your chance. She grabbed her books and then pushed past the rest of her friends. When she was a few feet ahead of everyone else, she slowed to a normal pace and continued to walk a few steps in front of the group. Sensing that something was off, Av and Lily rushed up and linked arms on either side of her. Anavia snapped her finger in disappointment. She knew those two were completely in love, but neither of them could see it.

While the gang finished lunch, some sort of meat pie with tomato stew, Remus excused himself to take a trip to the library. As he walked away from the golden table, he turned his head and stared back at Christiana. She was laughing at something Sirius had said. Chris's soft, black hair fluttered softly around her caramel face as her head shook slightly with delight. Oh... how he loved to see her smile! It was like Remus's world had entered slow motion. But as soon as it entered, it left. Remus snapped his head back around to face the doors leading out of the Great Hall. He could not allow himself to think like that. She was off limits. Everyone was... off limits. He leaned against the wall just outside the Great Hall doors and closed his eyes. Remus stood there for a moment and sighed. Chris was perfect. But he would never do that to her. He couldn't. Before he left for the library, he took one last look through the doorway of the Great Hall at Chris and watched the streaming sunlight dance over her face.

* * *

><p>Once Remus was definitely out of the Great Hall, Chris sighed and put her head down on top of her folded arms. A tear trickled out of the eye and down the side of her face. A song quietly slipped out of Chris's mouth as she choked back more tears. She could not take it anymore. Remus was clearly pushing her away. She had felt his gaze on her when he got up, yet he left without asking her to come with him, let alone act as if she would have been allowed to follow.<p>

By now, all of Chris's friends had stopped eating and were watching Chris silently, listening to her beautiful voice fill the table. Her song caused the chatter from other tables to die out as well. Lily's eyes started to water as she let Chris's strange, sad music fill her up and flow through her body. It was all she could do to keep from looking at James. What if she let down her guard? What if she told James how she felt? What if she told him that she really did like him? That she knew he was no longer the irresponsible imp she had always drawn away from? That what she felt for him was true and real, here and now? But she couldn't. They had barely begun to develop their friendship. She couldn't ruin it now... not now. Lily finally realized she would never be able to tell James how she felt, without watching her world crash around her. Her reputation would be ruined, and all respect she had earned would be lost. Her friends would surely feel betrayed. She would even feel betrayed. And clearly, he did not return her feelings. He had stopped the flirtatious greets and and requests for dates almost a year ago. She had lost her chance. Mixed emotions drained her. Lily pushed her plate away and stood up. She left the Great Hall and began making her daily Head Girl rounds.

**AN: Let me know what you think so far! I have a couple of chapters that are waiting in the wings, needing to be edited. Let me know what you think! Please review! :)**


	8. Chapter Eight

Chpt. 8 - The Black Knight

A few days later, after the owls delivered the post - including Peter's books, Sirius and Laura announced they were going steady. Laura was still having trouble believing it herself. His lips, his eyes, his hands, his voice: they belonged to her. And in return, she gave him herself; her smile, her kiss, her love. When she held his hand, everything felt right. Unfortunately, she had to keep her P.D.A.'s to a minimum, and soon realized that she could not share her romance stories with Lily or Chris. One day, during a study session in library about Vanishing Charms, Laura was telling Chris and Lily about her latest adventure with Sirius.

"And then he said something, and behind the witch was a passageway. Guess where it led - to Honeydukes! Of course, we left some money under a box of Peppermint Imps to pay for what we took. You wouldn't believe what snogging with Exploding Toffee feels like!"

Lily and Christiana both glumly sighed at the happiness in her voice. It was obvious to Laura that the two girls would not want to listen about the wonderful days she was having with Sirius.

Her only other friends were Marlene and Av, and Marlene was almost never around. She was gone when everyone woke up in the morning, disappeared after every class, and was never to be found after dinner. No one saw her except for during classes and after curfew. It was like she was living a separate life from years before when she was never seen without her friends. Laura supposed Marlene might be upset with her, since Marlene and Sirius had something going on between them last year, but she could never find her to ask. Av was there to listen to Laura, but only whenever she was free from Lily and Chris, both of whom Laura thought deserved Av's ears a little more than she did. The plus side of all of this, though, was that it left Laura more time with Sirius, which didn't bother her one bit.

* * *

><p>The green leaves of summer faded and the colorful hues of autumn arrived. Everything seemed perfect, but as much as Sirius liked Laura, he could not help but stare at Marlene now and then. Of course, she had moved on. He should never have been so stupid. What was he thinking, drinking that night?<p>

* * *

><p>It was James's 17th birthday, March 27th, and Sirius was in his sixth year at Hogwarts. As he and Peter snuck back to the Gryffindor common room with butterbeer, gin, and fire whiskey smuggled from the Three Broomsticks, and Exploding Snaps from Zonko's, for James's surprise party, Sirius reflected on how great his life was. The Marauder's had a wonderful family outing two weeks ago in the Forbidden Forest, and Remus had finally gotten over his head cold. Sirius and Marlene had been seeing each other somewhat secretly for the past 6 months, and tonight was the night he would reveal their secret to Prongs and the other guys.<p>

The party went off without a hitch. James, being Quidditch captain, was a popular fellow, so naturally all of Gryffindor House joined in the fun. Sirius had bewitched the Exploding Snaps to wish James a happy birthday when they opened, and it began a fun drinking game to take a swig every time one's voice filled the room. Of course, Sirius joined in the fun. Halfway through the party, two snaps went off at once. A cheer filled the room, and Sirius passed his bottle to Remus after taking a long drink himself.

"Sirius, you told us earlier you had to make an important announcement. Don't you think you should make it before wasting away on alcohol tonight? I thought we talked about staying sober for the party last week so that we could focus on James having a good time."

"No! I will be just alright an' fine for… erhm… my announ- announcess- annou-... my special news! Jus' wait. It will be- the best thing you ever saw. Er, heard."

* * *

><p>If he would have stayed sober, like Remus suggested, he never would have forgotten his promise to Marlene to announce their relationship. Or ended up on the common-room couch with that tease, Alecia Cornwall. And Marlene never would have felt the striking pain of jealousy.<p>

Why stop there? If he wouldn't have put himself in that situation, he would not have broken up with her. He knew she would get over the kissing, after all, he was drunk, and she knew him all too well. But his lack of judgement had made him think, and he knew he needed to sort out his priorities before he let the two of them get too involved. Unbeknownst to Black, he and Marlene were already too involved by the time the whole scenario went down. The break-up crushed her. She was a ghost for months. And he was regretting it now more than before. He knew in his heart that he loved Marlene so much more than he loved Laura, and that Laura was more of a need for physical connection tied to a deep friendship than a passionate love, but he was hoping it would evolve into something more, something to replace Marlene. After all, they had all that history, right? And they were both attractive individuals. And Laura really cared about him. He and Laura had to be meant to be. That was what he told himself. So far, this was not working. Plus, Marlene's unusual distance from the group and large number of disappearances had Sirius wondering and dreaming about her even more. Where was Marlene off to all this time, anyway? Sirius could not stoop down to spying via Marauder's Map for this one. He thought about asking Peter to look at it for him, but instead, he decided he would just find out the old fashioned way.

* * *

><p>Marlene sprinted out the door of McGonagall's classroom as soon as the chimes rang. Rushing past windows that framed the crisp colors of fall, to the statue of the Black Knight on the 4th floor. And there Macnair stood, waiting for her. They glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Not seeing anyone, Walden pulled Marlene into a warm embrace. She felt safe. Lately, the two had been spending as much time possible with one another, and especially trying to get to know each other. Of course, the more they got to know about the other, the stronger their friendship became. And the stronger it got, the more they wanted to spend more time together, and yearned to get to even know more about each other. At this point in time, Marlene knew Walden's favorite color was blue, his favorite animal was a ferret, and that he had two back at home named Filbert and Flara.<p>

"I missed you," Marlene whispered.

"I missed you too," Walden replied with a smile. "And I think we're all alone."

His strong hand swept Marlene's soft hair off the side of her cheek and behind her ear. With a flicker of his wand, a tune on violin started playing out of thin air. Macnair grabbed Marlene's hand. They began to dance. Marlene couldn't help staring into those eyes that had once looked at her with such ice, such malice. Sometimes she wondered what Walden was truly capable of. His demeanor had been so cold that first day, but now that she got to know him, he was as gentle as a puppy. She really couldn't comprehend how he even fit in with his Slytherin friends. He spun her around, and she crashed into him, laughing. Suddenly, the music stopped, like the end of a Muggle record. A dark figure stood at the end of the corridor.


	9. Chapter Nine

Walden and Marlene dropped their arms to their sides and stood silently, shocked, as Bellatrix walked up to them and spat at Marlene's feet.

"I have no idea what you did to him, you filthy rat, but whatever d- potions you are concocting, you can stop. I knew something was up when he followed you on the train. I know he's wonderful, b-, but he's mine, I said so, and you need to deal with it. Come on, Walden, snap out of it, git. Let's go."

Walden looked at Marlene with sorrowful eyes. They were caught. The timing did not feel right either. She nodded at him to go, and then watched him trail after Bellatrix like a sad, defenseless puppy. He glanced back at her, and mouthed the word "tomorrow" before turning the corner.

* * *

><p>Sirius saw his not-so-dear cousin, Bellatrix Black, walking down the corridor towards him with some sap following behind her. What was his name? Mcblair? Monair? Deciding it didn't matter his name, Sirius ducked behind a large wall tapestry and let them pass. He wasn't exactly in the mood to meet up with his awful cousin. Macnair looked pretty down. That was it, Macnair. Shrugging, Sirius snuck off in the direction Marlene had went, but all he saw was an empty corridor with a statue of Black Knight.<p>

* * *

><p>Chpt. 9 - Shining Amor<p>

"Moony! You've got to tell her! This chick's definitely driving you insane! I want the old Remus back! The lovesick one is not any fun. He just sits at the window all day thinking. Well, I do not give a care who she is, go be her stupid knight in bloody shining armor!"

Remus looked up from his book that he was not reading, to see the face of his best mate, James Potter, and sighed. Even James could tell. It was true, Remus often sat at the common room window, looking out over the lake. Usually he ended up staring blankly at the Whomping Willow. He couldn't tell her. He could never do that to anyone. Not anyone he loved.

He closed his book and put it on the nightstand beside his bed.

"Prongs, I have no clue what you are talking about."

James looked at Remus skeptically and rolled his eyes.

"James, you know why I can't. You of all people. You and Sirius and Peter - you all know why! Sure, you may think this is fun, but it's not. It's bloody scary, Prongs!"

"You know what next Tuesday is."

"Yes, I know! How in the world could I not know? How am I going to explain it this time? We cannot all randomly disappear every month. It's different this year. Snape knows now, thanks t Sirius's little stunt. And more importantly, we have been spending way too much time with the girls this year. Christiana is already suspicious, I can feel it!"

Remus shut his mouth as soon as the words flew out of his mouth. He cursed under his breath; the tiny clogs in James's brain were already turning and his hand flew to his forehead.

"CHRISTIANA! OH MY LORD MOONY- YOU'RE IN PUPPY LOVE WITH CHRISTIANA! Well, no wonder! She's all smart like you, and easy on the eyes, too…"

Remus felt a pang of jealousy at his friend's remark, and James looked into his friend's eyes with the deepest sympathy. "I'm sure she would understand, mate. Just tell her! I mean, in this state, what have you got to lose?"

"Oh yeah! Well, you're still in love with Lily. So as soon as you tell her, I'll tell Chris."

"Fine then. Erm... I uhh... I will..."

James silently left the room. Remus got up and off his bed. He took a seat in the dormitory's window. The Whomping Willow was not visible from there, he was not high enough up, but the lake was, and he could point out the exact spot where the dangerous tree would be, if there wasn't a castle blocking his view.

* * *

><p>Lily was sitting down on the sofa in the Head Dorm common room, writing in her journal. This relationship was breaking her. When schoolwork or Head duties did not call, James was all she could focus on. She could already feel her other friendships suffering. How could she could take this anymore? She loved being his friend, but at the same time, it was so awkward for her. She didn't want to ruin what they had created roaming the halls together and staying up late discussing homework, but every time he walked in a room, her heart flew up into her throat. Every time she heard his name, a smile crept onto her face. When his shoulder brushed hers, or he bumped into her in the corridor, chills went up and down her spine. Sometimes she wondered if he could see that it was impossible for her to breathe when he was talking to her. He probably thought she was stupid, all she did was smile and nod during most of their hallway conversations. He was so nice to her. So... very... nice...<p>

James paced the corridor in front of the door to the Head Dorm common room. Should he go in? What should he say? Was Lily in there? Was Chris or Marlene or Av in there? How ridiculous that would look. And what if she turned him down again? She always did before. But then, this year was different. This year, Lily didn't shrug away when he put his arm around her shoulders in the hallway. This year, she didn't flat out ignore him during meals. This year, she took even more of his breath away as he rambled on in the hallways, sounding like a complete idiot, while Lily stood there listening intently, smiling at him kindly and pretending he was intelligent like her or something. Yes, this year was different. This year, James would not tell her how he felt about her, he would show her.

Suddenly the Head Dorm room door swung open. Lily jumped up in surprise and shoved her journal under a red couch cushion. Confused, her eyes narrowed at the person standing in the doorway. Blinking, she let out a small, "Potter?"

"Yeah. It's me. I… uh... heard there was a lonely damsel in distress up here in need of rescuing... from... er.. boredom," he said.

Lily couldn't believe her eyes. There he stood, decked out in a full suit of armor. Helmet, sword, shield: everything. After a few seconds of silence, James shifted his weight within the suit, and it creaked awkwardly.

"Lily Alandria Evans… Erm, will... will you be my girlfriend?"


	10. Chapter Ten

"Lily Alandria Evans… Erm, will... will you be my girlfriend?"

"James Charlus Potter... I would love to."

James attempt to take off the helmet was unsuccessful. He waited as Lily fidgeted it off, ruffling his messy black hair in the process. He then grabbed Lily by the waist, spun her around on his hip, cradled her legs up into the crooks of his arms, and looked down into her brilliant green eyes. At last, Lily was finally his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him. James was finally hers at last.

* * *

><p>Chpt. 10 - A New Sketch, A New Flame<p>

Chris was happy for Lily. She always was happy for her friends. But it was difficult not to feel a little disappointed. Lily and James had now been going out for a little over a month. She was the only one in the group who was not in a real relationship. Laura had Sirius. Lily had James. Av had her long-distance boyfriend of three years, Garron Elphick, who graduated from Hogwarts last year and was currently out fighting in the Wizarding War against Voldemort. And everyone knew Marlene had a beau, they could see it in her face. Who it was - no one could even begin to guess. But still, Chris felt lost without a chance. She would have to go through her whole seventh year with the guy of her dreams always out of her reach. She flopped down on the scarlet rumpled sheets covering her four-poster bed, grabbed a notebook from the stand beside her, and began to write, singing all the while.

Creativity had always been her thing, ever since she was a little girl. She could still remember the first song she ever wrote - it was about the moon. Softly she began to sing the melody she has written as a young girl...

_Sighing the sun leaves her place in the sky..._

_The moon follows her beauty, and rests way up high._

_His shadows are lonely, his color is pale,_

_But always he follows her flames without fail._

_He chases her all through the evening and night._

_Follows, and tries to see a way that he might_

_Make the sun his, and forever they'll be,_

_But he knows in heart that she'll always be free._

Other songs came to Chris, some hers, some written by others, and they pulsed through her and poured out of lips. Drawings and doodles filled the margins of the papers, along with the letter and S. Christiana looked out the window to her right at the glistening snow covering the grounds. It was Sunday morning, and Hogwarts students of all ages littered the grounds. A large tree caught her eye. It had always been there, but she had never payed much attention to it before - the Whomping Willow. She remembers someone mentioning that it had been planted at the beginning of her first year at Hogwarts. In a way, it reminded her of Remus. Not the most beautiful or popular tree on the grounds, but at the same time it had some mysterious, powerful, alluring force about it. And, if she tried to get close to it... well, it wouldn't let her. It seemed to useless to try anymore. Before she knew it, she had a sketch of the gnarly tree in her hands with the letter and S at the top. Chris walked down to the common room and then up to the boys dormitories. She slipped it under the 7th year boys' door. Then Chris trod down the winding stairs and took a seat on the royal red rug in front of the sitting area. She was facing the fire, and she moved her toes closer to the fireplace for warmth. Silently she sat, watching the flames dance and intertwine like intricate ballet dancers in flickering, brightly decorated costumes.

Remus was working on his Arithmancy assignment, reading the next four chapters in his _Numerology and Grammatical_ book, in the common room when he felt the sudden urge to go upstairs. Like he was under spell, he collected his studies and drifted up the spiral staircase to his dorm and shut the door. There sat Sirius in the middle of the room. The inventor of laid-back looked extremely stressed today.

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Remus asked as he set down his textbook.

"It's Laura, Moony. She... told me... she loved me today," He replied, his face full of worry.

"I see... is that such a terrible thing that your girlfriend of how many months told you she loved you?"

"But I don't love her back! I mean, sure, she's great, as a friend, as a best friend… and she's everything I should want, and I keep telling myself that..."

A glum look of surprise over took Sirius as he whispered, "Remus, Laura and I... we're absolutely perfect for each other... but..."

"Erm... Padfoot… are you really telling me that-?"

Remus took a glance at his friend and knew. And he felt a rush of compassion for all of the girls that Sirius has ever hurt. What a bite in his words, he questioned him, "Did you really fall for someone else? Are you really going to throw everything away all over again? Seriously, is that not what happened with Marlene? Do you remember what you did to that poor girl?"

Sirius's face fell and he looked away ashamed. Remus knew what that meant, and he felt a stroke of guilt for being so harsh. Padfoot still loved Marlene. It was so plain to see. Maybe he loved her even more than Remus loved Chris. At that exact moment a piece of paper flew under the door. The two of them stared at it for awhile, until eventually Sirius picked it up. He read it and explained that he had to go; Laura wanted to go walk on the grounds with him. Sighing, he closed the door behind him, leaving Remus all alone in the bedroom.

After fifteen minutes or so he heard footsteps outside the quiet room. _Deja vu_ was the strangest magic of the mind. A piece of paper slid under the door. This time, his name in large letters across the top caught his attention. Leaving his homework on his bed, he walked over to it and picked it up. It was the Whomping Willow. And his name was written in Chris's handwriting. Questions flooded his mind. Did she know? How could she? Did one of the Marauders tell her? Did it even matter? Would she be willing to look past his problem? Could anyone learn to love a monster like him? Did she even like him? Did she love him? Should he risk hurting her to make them both happy? This was their last year at Hogwarts. If they did not do anything this year, they would go their separate ways and probably only spare a passing glance or a mug of Butterbeer now and then. It would be better that way. Unless maybe it would not be better. Maybe, if she was willing, so was he. If she could be strong, maybe he could be too.

The thought scared Remus - this was a different kind of strong than he was used to. He normally bottled up his strength. He had to be careful every single day about not letting his strength show. But this was different. It was emotional strength. He wasn't sure if he could control that kind of power. And did he have enough of it for Chris? Remus set the paper from Christiana on his bed and went down to the red and gold common room. There she was, right by the hearth. Orange lights and yellow shadows flickered across her dark face. Unable to resist, Remus sat down beside her and put his arms around her. Chris laid her head on his chest, and for once, everything seemed alright for the Marauders and their friends.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Christiana's moon song is an original poem by myself, written for this FF. Feel free to sing it however you like!<strong>


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chpt. 11 - A Short Winter Moment

Her soft, curly hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Her perfectly manicured fingers tapped the snow to the beat of a silent song. Laura turned around enough to see Sirius standing behind her, his long, dark hair whipping about his shapely face in the cold wind. She stood up and embraced him, letting his warmth engulf her small, limber frame. Laura's cheeks were red from the cold, and her eyes shone more purple than ever. She looked up to see Sirius smiling at her, and when she met his gaze he pulled her in closer. They stared off to their right, watching 5 or 6 fifth years ice skating on the frozen lake. Winter had come quickly this year, it was only the beginning of November.

For Laura, everything was perfectly perfect. She had the guy of her dreams. The love of her life. The boy that was different. The one that would never hurt her. Things were looking up for Laura at last. Her parents weren't fighting as much at home, or so her little sister said in her letters. Her brother was finally forced to enroll in wizard therapy at St. Mungo's. Of course, this because of his most recent suicide attempt, but she pushed that thought from her mind. Everything could still be perfect. Laura again began to count the good things in her life silently. She was getting an A in potions thanks to help from Lily. Her family was getting better. And she had Sirius.

To Sirius, everything around him was a lie. How he could he feel so happy, and so distant at the same time, was a conundrum he could not quite solve. Laura was always there for him… of course she would tell him she loved him eventually. Part of him loved her too, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough when so much of his heart belonged to someone else. He should have seen everything coming; it was all his fault that he was in this mess. Laura was amazing, and Marlene had told him she was over him. He needed to face reality - that she was gone from his grasp. His throat began to tighten as the sweet smell of lavender shampoo from Laura's hair drifted into his lungs. Suddenly he was gone, his thoughts away with Marlene.

* * *

><p>It was a cool, breezy September afternoon, and Professor Flitwick had let them out of class early, thanks to Lily's brilliant confundus charm. Marlene and Sirius had ditched their friends to take a stroll around the castle grounds. Sirius's eyes snuck glances at her as they crunched through the leaves. He normally didn't tramp around with female company - it scared the other potential dates away, but she was different. She wasn't the quiet best friend of Lily Evans that she pretended to be. She was spunky. Wild. Cursed like a sailor. Had a real knack for dirty knock-knock jokes. Marlene McKinnon was like an angel sent from heaven just for him.<p>

The two found themselves by a hill on the other side of the lake. They sat down on a large rock, next to a large patch of lilacs that were beginning to dry up with the season change.

"So why did you want me to come with you over here?" she asked.

"I dunno. You were there. And I was there. And class was over. What else was there to do, you know?"

"And Lily was there, and the other Gryffindors. They seem to have misplaced their invitations."

"Yeah. Guess so."

Sirius looked over his shoulder and his eyes caught hers. The petals from the flowers nearby rushed soothing scents to him as the wind picked up. Her hair was flapping madly around her face, and so was his. She held his gaze, and soon Sirius couldn't tell if he had been looking at her for a minute or an hour. He wondered if her lips were as soft as they looked.

"Black, this is getting a bit of... something. Awkward or goofy or romantic, I can't exactly deci-"

And then his hands locked on her arms and his was dragging her closer. His fingers moved to her face, her hair, her back, his lips pressing against hers, wanting her, tasting her. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe. But he didn't want to do either, because that would mean the kiss was over. The only kiss he'd ever had that he couldn't possibly imagine ending. Marlene McKinnon was the first girl he ever loved.

* * *

><p>Maybe he should have been the rat instead of Peter. He had to tell Laura, but he could not bring himself to do it. Maybe it was how warm she felt in the cold wind, or maybe it was something else, but something told him to wait. To leave this moment alone. And they stood there, staring off to their right, watching 5 or 6 fifth years ice skating on the frozen lake.<p> 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12 - Monday

It was Monday. Marlene was headed towards her Advanced Transfiguration class. Suddenly, Walden ran up behind her and snuck his hands around her face. He grabbed a quick kiss before anyone saw, and then hurried off to Herbology. Marlene watched him jog away and smiled to herself. He really was wonderful. She was sure that if the Sorting Hat could sort him over again at this very moment, he would find himself in Slytherin. Dumbledore must know what he's doing. How could she have ever doubted him? Then, like every other day, she pondered what this secret relationship had to do with anything anyway. Was Dumbledore just playing matchmaker? The elderly headmaster did not seem the type. The beautiful ring glittered on her left hand, and she admired it for a few seconds before starting back on her way to her Double Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs.

* * *

><p>"Lily. I have to talk to you."<p>

"No, Severus. I won't talk to you."

"Lily. You're still my friend. I-I... I have to tell you something."

"I said no. Are you even listening to me? You got rid of your right to tell me things when you called me a mudblood, remember? You changed. That's a fact. I heard you were even thinking of joining the Death Eaters after school. How horrible can you be to really think-?"

"I'm sorry, Lily, but you have to hear me. Something bad is going to happen."

Snape's words echoed off the cold stone walls. Lily looked around to make sure no one could overhear them, and then focused her eyes sharply on the boy she used to call her friend.

"What? What is so awful at this moment that you have to make me late for my Charms class?"

"It's ... it's about Marlene. I found something out..."

"Oh. So since you have your sneaky little pure blood friends, now you automatically know more about my best friend than I do."

"No. Well. Maybe. Maybe you know. I don't know what you know... I just... I just thought… you would want her to be safe."

Lily saw the hurt in hurt in his eyes as Snape looked down at his feet, twiddling his thumbs. For an eighteen-year-old, he looked pretty young and naive, almost like he was a first year again.

"Severus. I'm sorry and I'm not sorry... Ever since we came to this school, you have been acting less and less like the kid I grew up knowing, and more and more like the kids that grew up hating me and everyone like me. It's really hard for me to talk to you like a normal person."

"I don't hate you, or anyone like you. You know that I am not like those pure blood maniacs."

"No, I don't. I don't see how you think you are different either. Severus, why do you think you were put into Slytherin?"

"My temper probably? I doubt I'll ever know…." he paused for a moment, trying to translate Lily's expression before continuing.

"I like being Slytherin, Lily. You feel... important. Wanted. Powerful."

"Exactly. Now what were going to tell me about Marlene, so I can get on my way?"

"What? Oh. Well... you see... it's just... the Da-"

Severus was cut off by Laura singing down the hallway to Lily.

"LILY EVANS! C'mon! We're going to miss Sirius's impersonation of Flitwick," she shouted, then, seeing Snape, Laura added, "Oh, hullo Snivellus. Sorry, I guess I didn't see you there under all that grease. Am I interrupting?"

"Erm. No. Never mind, Lily. It's not important. You girls go on to class. I have to go anyway," he said, looking over his shoulder anxiously as he bolted down the hallway and around the corner.

"What was _that _all about?" Laura raised her eyebrows as she spoke.

"I have no idea. Why are you late for class?"

"I forgot my book, again. Mondays, eh? Lucky for you, though! Can't imagine what I'd do to him if he came up and tried talking to me… off to class, then?"

"Yeah.. off to class, then..."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chpt. 13 - The Heart

Head duties had suddenly became a lot more fun for Lily and James, now that they were a happy couple. Holding hands, the two would stroll down the corridors after curfew, checking for the few, brave students that thought it was fun to wander around at night. Apart from a few classes, they spent the whole day together. At night, Lily would sit on the couch with James's head in her lap, and check his homework. In the morning, James would creep into Lily's room and gently shake her awake for breakfast. And they made sure that they scheduled in time for their friends, too. The Tuesday after Remus and Chris got together was spent guys only - girls only. And one night every month after that. The girls played Truth or Dare, swapped kissing tips, tried on random outfits and makeup products, took crazy wizard pictures, and played a couple of rounds of the ever-enchanting, body-tangling game, Twiztler. They guys, well, they did what they always did. All was content. And all was well.

Christmas was quickly approaching. Before anyone realized it, it was less than three weeks away. The normal perfect-present-jitters began to settle in. Teenagers rushed to and from Hogsmeade every weekend, and more and more packages flew in everyday - in an effort to get each and every student, each and every friend or sweetheart, the perfect gift. And a plan was forming in the head of the James Potter head. During Quidditch practice one day, as he caught the Golden Snitch, he had a perfect idea of what to get Lily.

* * *

><p>It was Christmas Day. Remus woke up to a stuffed giraffe at the foot of his bed. Around it's left leg was a teal ribbon with a tag on it. The tag read, 'To Loony Moony Lupin; A sign of my eternal love. Hope this shows you just how cute we are together. I love you and always will, Christiana.' He smiled to himself and flipped over the tag. On the other side was the animal's name in calligraphy - Algernon. He liked it. It was Old French. Sure, it meant "bearded", but who's to say a stuffed giraffe couldn't grow a beard? He knew Chris would never like her present as much as he liked his, but she deserved to know. She was his girlfriend. Remus could tell she knew he was hiding something. Tonight would be the night she learned the origin of his nickname.<p>

* * *

><p>None of the Marauders or their friends had decided to go home for holiday break, so they had formed a plan to gather together in the common room to open each other's gifts. Marlene was up up at dawn, sneaking into the owlery to deliver Walden his Christmas gift. He had gone back to his mothers for holiday, but they had promised to send presents. Marlene tied her package to a large, sturdy grey owl. Inside, she had packed away a letter, a box of Pumpkin Pasties, 2 small squeaky toys for Walden's ferrets, and a stack of photographs of her as a child. The last gift had been a bit of an inside joke - Walden always said that he wished he knew what she looked like before puberty turned her into a beautiful woman. He was so (jokingly) sure that she had been quite ugly.<p>

As the owl flew away, she was about to leave when an eagle flew into the owlery and landed on her shoulder. He lifted up his leg to reveal a small parcel with Marlene's name on it: her gift from Walden! She thanked the majestic bird and untied her present from his taloned leg. Upon opening the crinkle brown paper, Marlene saw that her present was inside a small, square box. It was dark green and fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. When she opened the lid, a small person appeared and began to dance to a tinkling tune. It took her no time at all to place the song in her mind - it was the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was a child, before she died. Marlene had told so many things to Walden about herself, that she had forgotten the time she mentioned how much she missed hearing the melody as she drifted off to sleep. Tears brimmed Marlene's eyes as she placed the music box in her robes and headed back down towards the Gryffindor dormitory. When she arrived, no one else had woken up yet, so she began to collect the rest of her presents and place them downstairs. As she waited for the rest of her friends to arrive downstairs, she pressed the music box to her heart and smiled.

* * *

><p>Everyone was completely dazzled by the wonderful presents. After opening gifts from family, they began to reach for the ones from their friends. Laura opened a single everlasting yellow tulip, her favorite flower, from Sirius, and from everyone else she accumulated approximately 10 lbs. of her favorite candies, Sherbet Lemons and Sugar Quills. Av received a letter from her boyfriend, Garron, a pile of chocolate frogs, and a few muggle movies (they were her one, true weakness). Marlene's stash included a Holyhead Harpies music album, a new set of eagle quills, and four new hair clips. Lily's gifts to James included a leather journal, a broomstick polishing kit, and her favorite amethyst rings on a chain; he also got a screaming hand buzzer from Sirius, a broom compass from Peter, and Remus gave him a set of hands-free quills. Sirius received the new Hungarian Horntails music album that he had been wanting from Laura, four pounds of dung bombs from the Marauders, and an imported Welsh hairbrush with no tag, but secretly, he recognized the red and white wrapping paper from Prong's home closet. Peter opened up 3 different sweaters, each that flashed obnoxious colors when the wearer wasn't looking. The only two people left to open their gifts were Chris and Lily.<p>

James dashed off to the Head Dorm to get Lily's present from his room, while Sirius blindfolded her in the Gryffindor common room. Rushing back through the common room door, his present in hand, James flicked his 11" mahogany wand. The lights dimmed, pure gold streamers appeared out of thin air, and glitter suspended itself in the space above the students' heads. With another swish, Lily's blindfold fell off.

James was down on one knee, and from behind his back, pulled out a golden snitch. He handed it to her, as she stared at him in a confused stupor. Sirius reached over and opened the snitch for Lily to reveal a lustrous diamond ring. The stone was cut into the shape of a lily. James knew that if he did not marry Lily Evans, he would never marry anyone else. He had never loved anyone else, and he never would. And it was very unlikely that they would see each other often enough once they were out of Hogwarts and onto different career paths. This year was his last chance. He had to do everything right.

"Evans, are you going to marry me or what?"

"Potter, you are the most ridiculous, self-centered lunatic I have ever met. You ask me to be your girlfriend and then ask me to marry you only two months later? You're bloody crazy!"

"Strike while the iron is hot! C'mon, I still need an answer over here!"

"Oh, what am I going to do with you? Yes, James, I'll marry you, you lucky prat!"

The smiling Lily blinked back her tears of joy as James climbed up off his knee and put the ring on her finger. How many times had he dreamt of this moment? His lips found hers and he let her warmth engulf him. So many happy thoughts rushed through Lily's mind. She tried to think back to the times when she refused him. How she wished she had accepted his flirts the moment they met, so she could have spent even more of her life loving him. The rest of the day was just a joyful blur for both of them, filled with letters to their families and secret smiles passed to their friends during Christmas dinner. Years later, Lily and James wouldn't remember the colors of the Christmas trees or who got the best prizes from Exploding Snap.

But for Chris and Remus, it would be the opposite. Their holiday was crystal clear, and unforgettable for both of them. They would both remember every moment of it for the rest of their lives.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chpt. 14 - 'Til Death Do Us Part

After the big proposal, Remus began working up a sweat. Now Chris would be expecting something big. She would get it, but he did not have the faintest idea of how she would take the news. He still was not even sure if she would look at him the same way ever again. But she had to know. She had to.

Christiana stood there, merrily rejoicing with her friends. She looked around for Remus, but could not find him in all the excitement. Then a pair of familiar arms wrapped themselves around her, and he whispered in her ear for her to come with him. Happily, she took his hand and walked with him down to the castle gardens. It took the whole time walking down there for her to realize something was wrong.

"What's the matter, Rem? Are.. are you okay? Is everything alright?" she asked as they walked along the garden path. Clouds of warmth breath from Christiana's words filled the cold air between them.

She could feel it in her heart that he was about to tell her something big. Something important. That thing, the secret that she often wondered what it was. The secret he kept from her. Apparently, James and Sirius, and Peter too, knew what it was. But she never asked, it would be rude. Now, though, the secret was to be no longer silent. Remus took a deep breath and looked into her teal blue eyes that reflected some clear ocean from far away. They were the brightest he had ever seen them, but they were also clouded thick with worry.

"Christiana... I love you. I love you with everything in me. And I will never expect you to feel the same way I do for you, and especially not even the same way you feel for me right now after I tell you this, but... I cannot keep avoiding it. You have to promise me first that you will never tell anyone... and that you'll kiss me one last time before I tell you. Please..."

"What? I would never tell anyone your secrets, but... kiss you… one last time? What are you talking about? You're starting to scare me, Remus. What's wrong?"

"I have not even begun to scare you yet, Chris..."

He spoke carefully, strain filling his words.

"Please. Just kiss me. Right now. Please..."

Looking into his pained face, she stopped herself from asking another question and gave in to his demand. It took her breath away, just like every other kiss that he gave her. She could never fully get used to his kisses. They had a longing in them, a need, a hurt. They were strong and hungry, but never steady. Each kiss told a story that Chris was begging to learn, and this one threw her heart back and forth on an emotional roller coaster. What was the secret?

When Remus pulled away, Chris grabbed hold of his hands - partly to steady herself, and partly to keep him from putting more distance between the two of them.

"Christiana... I'm... I've... when I was a little boy... Fenrir Greyback... you know who he is… well… he bit me... and... and I..." A tear slid down the side of his cheek.

Chris held him tighter and tighter. She could not believe her ears. She had read that name in The Daily Prophet… but... Greyback was...

"I'm a _werewolf_. There... I said it. I know... how... how could you... ever... learn to love a monster like me... I had to tell you. I understand if you never want to come near me again - I'm dangerous. I'm dangerous and that's why I wanted to kiss you one last time. Christiana, I will always love you. No matter what you choose. My heart will always be yours. You are my eternal love. Always."

Hesitation and shame flooded his face. Chris felt pity, understanding, and most of all, love, swirling around inside her. So this is why every move Remus was so slow and precise. He was constantly practicing his control for the dark inside himself that he would never be able to master. The thought was daunting, but not enough to keep her quiet.

"Oh, Remus... why would you think I could ever stop loving you? You shared with me the one thing that you could keep to yourself. The one thing that defines everything about you. You just gave your whole self to me. I just wish I had something more to give to you. You are not a monster. You're not. You are mine. You are my eternal love. Don't worry... Don't you ever worry! I love you, and I'll never stop loving you. 'Til death do us part - I love you."

As she looked into his warm, brown eyes, Chris couldn't stop herself. The tears began to stream down her face. Her head fell to his chest and she clung to his torso.

"Remus... I'm so sorry..."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chpt. 15 - GNO

It was Guys Night Out/Girls Night Out. The guys had left already. All the girls were in the Head Dorm common room. They sat in their PJ's in a circle on the floor. Chris excused herself from the group to go get some popcorn from the kitchens. While she was away, the other girls whispered among themselves. The smell of extra butter drifted over to them, and Chris appeared with a giant punch bowl full. She set it down on the floor in the middle of the circle and sat down. Christiana had barely touched the ground when Av asked the question she had been dreading.

"Where did Remus take you?"

Her four best friends looked at her expectantly. Remus had given her permission to tell them, but she didn't know if she was able to. It took some prying, but eventually she told them all she knew. By the time she was finished telling his story, she was crying. Laura and Marlene reached over and embraced her. It was hard for all of them to imagine a life where they were afraid of killing others, and everything was outside of their control. Their hearts ached for Remus, and they took solace in the fact that he had his three loyal friends to count on. The girls wiped their eyes and tried to calm themselves down. Lily fiddled with the rug as she began to speak.

"So that's where the boys go off to. I kinda wondered why GNO always happened on the night of a full moon. It seemed kind of... odd."

"Yeah. But how can they go with him anyway? Is it just a cover-up so he isn't the only one to disappear? Or what?" asked Av.

Christiana knew the answer to this one.

"No, they all go with him. I'm not sure how this all works but I do know that they use a secret passage way and go out onto the grounds. How they do that without being caught - I have no idea. But they go to the Whomping Willow. They must do something so he doesn't attack or hurt them, I guess. I know there is this opening in the roots and they slide down it into a tunnel. The tunnel actually leads to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. No wonder people thinks it's haunted. Of course Remus must howl and bite and run around in there."

"But I still don't get it. How come James and Sirius and Peter aren't dead? So... how could a werewolf refrain himself from biting, killing... eating three wizards when their locked up in a house with him? And if they found some anti-werewolf cure, why not share it with everyone else?" Lily thought aloud, to which Laura simply replied, "I don't know..."

Suddenly, Marlene interrupted the silence, "I am not sure if this is the right thing to do… but I have to talk to you guys. And it feels right to say it now..." Confused, they looked up from their thoughts and focused their attention on their friend. She was fingering the ring on her left finger. No one had really noticed before, even though she clearly had it on the whole time, they would have noticed her putting it on. Looking back, none of them even remembered seeing it on her hand before that moment. Confused, they all drew closer to get a better look at it. She held out her hand for everyone to see. It was gorgeous. One diamond in the center and an emerald set on each side of it.

"MAR, YOU'RE ENGAGED! When did this happen? To who? Oh... my... gosh!" shrieked her best friend. Lily's hands stopped tugging on her shining red hair and switched to holding up Marlene's shining ring. But then, seeing her friends uneasy expression, she stopped, and let her friend continue.

"Well... I'm married, actually," She went on in spite of the gaping faces around her. "You sort of guessed part of that already. But... Uhm… its to... Walden Macnair…?" Marlene paused for her friends reactions. She waited a long time, but eventually Laura was the first to say something.

"Well, no wonder you didn't want to tell anyone! He is a Slytherin."

Laura received a room of mixed emotions from her friend's faces at this comment, but she continued.

"That's where you've been sneaking off to all year, isn't it…? Sneaky, sneaky! Hey! Why were we not invited to the wedding? Seriously? That's cruel!"

The other girls complained in agreement with Laura. Marlene decided she should tell them the whole story. She started out by telling them this was highly top secret. She wasn't sure if they should know, but she thought that it would be okay with Dumbledore. A feeling of extremely curiosity fell over the hushed group. Marlene skipped most of the mushy details, but she explained how even though she didn't know why exactly it happened in the first place, all she knew was she was so glad that it had. And how, if anyone found out, something bad could possibly happen; what, she didn't know. That was why he was still following Bellatrix around all the time. Marlene told them how amazing he was, and all of their plans. They would officially honeymoon in France after the end of the semester, when school was out. Someday, hopefully sooner than later, they wanted to have a little boy and girl, and name him Finnick, after Walden's father, and her Ellie, after Marlene's mother. They couldn't wait much longer to officially start their life together as a family. When she finished her tale, the girls were crying and laughing and hugging and jumping and eating popcorn. After another hour or so of gossip, they all were so disoriented and deflated that they just dozed off one by one.

* * *

><p>Lily stayed up past everyone else, tossing and turning in her sleep. Around 5 o'clock in the morning, she got up and walked around, when something outside the window caught her eye. It was a stag. Lily thought this the school grounds were an odd place to find a deer, so she continued to peer out the glass. Following the stag was a black dog, with some other small critter that she couldn't quite make out alongside it. And behind the dog... was Remus Lupin.<p>

**A/N: Can I just say that when I wrote the original draft of this YEARS ago, Suzanne Collin's had not yet published ****_The Hunger Games_**** books. So, kuddos to past me for coming up with a soon to be popular name for Walden's daddio! ;)**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chpt. 16 - The Breakfast Club

The next morning, the group of friends gathered for breakfast in the Great Hall. Chris and Remus sat together, holding hands, each drinking a glass of ice water. Neither one of them was very hungry. Laura and Sirius were the same as always, quiet but personal; she was sitting in his lap, nibbling on a piece of toast. Marlene sat facing the Slytherin table, her eyes watching the doors to the giant room, hoping Walden would come in. Av was immersed in a deep mathematical conversation with Anavia about the many kinds of Bertie Botts Every-Flavour Beans, and the exact probability of getting a nasty one when you reached into the box. Of course, Peter listened to this conversation intently, randomly piping in with questions such as, "What about the boogey ones?" and "Well, how do I avoid all of them?" Lily and James sat off to the side, feeding each other bits of scrambled eggs. Occasionally they would exchange a quick peck on the lips. After a while, James and Sirius got into an argument over the Quidditch League teams that were playing the next day. For once, the table seemed completely normal, no glum faces to be found. Remus pulled out his _History of Magic_ book, a quill, and a piece of parchment and began taking notes over Chapter 145.72 - The Civil Gnome War of 1203. When Remus put away his book and excused himself to make his prefect rounds, and Chris got up to walk with him. James and Lily took this as an opportunity to do their head duties as well, and made their way toward the giant golden doors. Not wanting to be left to choosing between awkward Sirius conversation and the mathematical jelly beans conversation, Marlene excused herself from the table as well.

Laura turned herself around to face Sirius. She smiled, gave him a kiss, and then returned eating. Everyone was in such a perfect balance. But she loved her relationship most of all. Sirius was one of those people that one either liked or hated. Most girls at Hogwarts fell into the 'like' category. But Sirius was all hers. Laura was the envy of dozens of girls at Hogwarts. But it wasn't just the jealousy and popularity that she loved, that she craved. It was the deepness of her love that gave her inner strength to go on. It was him that kept her alive.

She rested her elbow on the table, and her head in her hand. Daydreams began to fill her head. Maybe she and Sirius could have a double wedding with Lily and James. Laura wished Sirius would to ask her to marry him sometime soon. They had been dating for only 4 months, but for her, there would never be anyone else. She knew that Sirius felt the same way,she could tell from his kisses, so she didn't see a point in dragging it out. Maybe they could even have a triple wedding with Christiana and Remus. How perfect that would be! Laura let herself fall into imagining the joys of being married to Sirius. Laura Black. She liked the ring of it. How perfect he was. She wondered if he knew how much she loved him. How much she wanted to be with him for all eternity.

* * *

><p>As soon as they were out the doors, Lily stopped walking. James felt his hand jerk and looked back to see Lily standing there, her head flailing around. She grabbed James and dragged him behind a large, stone pillar. They watched Marlene leave the Great Hall, and waited in silence for a few moments afterwards. Still seeing no one, Lily finally exclaimed in a whisper, "I didn't know you were an Animagus, Prongs!"<p>

"Well, if I told you, I'd have had to kill you," he said with a serious face. Lily shot him a stern look and raised her eyebrows for more information.

"Only joking, only joking! How'd you find out? Oh well, doesn't matter I suppose. But it wasn't my secret to tell. If I would have told you that I was an unregistered Animagus, what would you have said?"

"I know about Remus, Chris told me last night!"

"Oh, so I should have told you I was an unregistered Animagus just so I could keep company with a werewolf. Lily, you either would have thought me an even bigger liar, or would have been so scared you would never talk to me again. And you would wonder who the werewolf was, figure it out, and get me in trouble with Moony, and things would get complicated. You see?"

Lily thought about it for a moment. If James would have told Lily he could transform himself into a stag, she would have wondered why. And then she would have known about Remus before Christiana did. Now that she thought about it, everything started to make sense.

"But... how do you guys get out at night? Without any teachers catching you?"

"I knew you'd ask that one too," James laughed. "McGonagall and Dumbledore built a secret passageway for Moony. And we just use it. But it's not all luck. We also have..." He pulled out a blank piece of parchment and continued with, "THIS." James looked around the hallway again to make sure no one was near. He took out his wand and tapped the paper, muttering, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." A magical map of Hogwarts drew itself upon the paper. At the top, it read _'The Marauder's Map. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.'_ On the map were moving dots. Each dot was labeled with the name of a student or teacher. Lily looked over it in confusion for a few moments before she spoke,

"OH! So, wait, Professor Slughorn is... in his office right now? And the girls in Ravenclaw that helped us with the dance last year, Blythe and Becca, are down there talking to him? Is that right?"

"Precisely, my dear. Mischief managed," James said, as he tapped his wand to the parchment and the ink disappeared. He folded up the blank map and put it back in his pocket.

"Where did you find such a thing? You didn't steal it from Dumbledore, did you?"

"We actually created it ourselves. Started looking into it when we were third years. It was handy to keep track of each other with Moony running off every month, and sometimes we would go out to the forest with him so he could hunt animals - once or twice during fifth year he got away and we nearly lost him. That's when we knew we needed the map."

"You nearly lost him?! James, are you mad? He could have bit someone - killed someone even!"

"Yeah - that's why we made the map. So we could keep track of him. The Marauder's Map."

"James, I don't think you understand the severity of what you just said to me. Someone could have been-"

Lily was cut off by the intense look of surprise on James's face.

Severus Snape had appeared in front of the Great Hall doors. James saw him out of the corner of his eye and felt a pang of jealousy came over him. But Severus looked a bit off today, like he wasn't completely a git. James knew what that meant, he would have to leave so his girlfriend to deal with the slimy sleezeball. He kissed Lily lightly on the lips. As she sighed and pulled away, Lily saw Severus standing there, with a mixture of sadness, disgust, and jealousy on his face.

"What is it, Severus?" Lily asked, shortly.

"I... James, may I please, please borrow Lily for a quick moment? Please. It's important."

Lily shrugged at James and walked over to her old friend. Not that there was any friendship left, but she felt a twinge of pity inside her, mostly because he looked so particularly pale and pathetic today. She took a moment to glare at him with unfriendliness, and then whispered sharply, "What?"

"Lily. It's just. I know things you don't... I want... more than... It's... I... you... I don't…"

Lily rolled her eyes as Severus stumbled over his words.

"You sound ridiculous. Why am I even listening to you right now?"

"Just, just be careful. Promise me that you'll be careful?"

"What is this all about? Why would you waste my time on something you won't tell me?" she asked, still whispering quiet enough that James couldn't overhear their conversation, but he appeared extremely interested in painting a couple of metres away.

"Could you leave school? For the rest of the year? It would be..." Snape trailed off, looking out past Lily and down the hall.

"No! Severus Snape, I am not leaving Hogwarts because some traitor told me to! You tell me what all this is about!"

"You know what? Just because you're a Gryffindor, it doesn't mean you always have to be brave," he snapped. "Please, Lily. Don't do anything too risky. Or stupid. Congrats on the engagement."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked off, leaving Lily dumbstruck and James confused, at a loss to what had just happened. After Lily relayed the conversation to James, they both decided to keep it to themselves. They weren't sure if Snape was up to some trick or if he was actually giving Lily a warning. But they thought it might be best to keep on their toes either way.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 17 -Dreams

"I told," she said quietly, while she came up from the kiss for air.

"Hmm? Told what to who?" Walden asked, a goofy smile still left on his face from the recent snogging session.

"I told Lily and the girls about us. I just felt like I needed them to know, so I told.'

"Well, I trust you, and you trust them, so I trust them," he declared firmly.

Marlene looked around the empty classroom. Lately, she only felt like herself when she was with Walden. She was glad that he was okay with her decision. Not that she thought he would get upset, but still, it felt nice to be supported. And it felt even better to know that Walden wasn't afraid to let others know about their relationship. Marlene hated secret relationships. She sighed and rested her head against his bare chest, stroking her fingertips against the smooth palm of his hand. His lips pressed against the top of her head, and she knew, like she always knew when Walden was around, that everything would be okay.

* * *

><p>"So, they can really see every person in the school? Like, at all times? Wow. Smarter than we thought, huh? Maybe they haven't been cheating to get good marks all these years. It's so interesting... Wow," Av was just as intrigued as Lily was about the Marauder's Map. Laura was more interested in the Animagus part.<p>

"Sirius can transform himself into a scruffy dog? That's spectacularly sexy. I think I'm going to go have to have a talk with him..." She skipped away to find her boyfriend.

Marlene sat there, feeling sick, all the color draining from her face. This meant that Sirius probably knew all about her and Walden. She thought about their elusive meetings between classes, the early morning breakfasts in the kitchens, the late night strolls on the castle grounds. Why did she think they could keep everything a secret? How much did Sirius see, and what did he think? He must be laughing at her with his friends behind her back. But she didn't care. Walden was loads better to her than Sirius ever was anyway.

That night, snippets of dreams crossed Marlene's mind as she fell further into unconsciousness. A vicious black dog here, a snake on her hand there. Finally, when her mind settled on one storyline, she let herself be taken over by sleep. She found herself on an outing with Sirius, from back when they had recently started dating...

"Where does this passage lead? How did you find it?"

Sirius had just shown her the passage to Honeydukes for the first time. As they reached the trap door above their heads, he took her hand in his. Marlene blushed as warmth tingled through her chest. She had never felt this way about anyone before. His chiseled arm pushed opened the door, and he pulled himself up through the opening. His hands fitted around her and lifted her into a storeroom full of candies and sweets. But Marlene did not care about any of that. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She was leaning in, and so was he. Their fingers were tugging at whatever they could grab. Hair. Clothing. Skin. Sirius lifted her off the ground and pressed her against the wooden wall, his hands slipping smoothly under her shirt.

* * *

><p>When she awoke the next morning, Marlene felt angry and disgusted with herself. How could she have allowed herself to indulge in such a terrible dream? Walden was the one she wanted. And luckily for her, he also happened to be the one she already had. And, if in some hypothetical world, she didn't have Walden, Sirius still had Laura.<p>

Marlene never cared much for Laura, with her bouncing auburn curls and innocent freckles, but she was Lily's friend and that meant she was Marlene's friend too. And if Sirius loved Laura, he could go on and love her. Marlene knew she would never again look at him with the longing she once had. She had finally moved on. And she was sure that he had too.

**AN: Sorry I have been putting more time in between my posts - school and work, you know! I will try my best to keep updating at least every 3 days until it's finished! :)**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chpt. 18 - Searching For a Feeling

His quill scratched across the parchment._ 'Laura. We need to talk.'_ Sirius folded up the paper and shoved it into the pocket of his robes. As he headed towards the back of the portrait that held the Fat Lady, the door to the common room swung open. Frank Longbottom, a fellow 7th year Gryffindor, stood there, out of breath. He looked frantic. Words slurring, he spoke so quickly that Sirius could barely understand him.

"BlimeySirius, there y'are! Where'sa 'rest ofta Marauders?!"

"Uhm... Out?"

"Well, get'em! The-girls, too! We're to report'ta Dumbledore's office 'mediately. Password's 'candynut clusters'."

The exhausted Frank turned to a fragile, dark haired, 6th year girl, named Alice DeCasbrough at a table nearby.

"Alice, come'ith me, we'vegotta go. Now. I'll explain on the way. Have'ya seen Lily.. or Chris... or anybody? Dumbledore needs us RIGHT now... C'mon!"

He grabbed her hand and rushed off through the portrait hole. Sirius scrambled behind the couple, signaling to James on his two-way mirror. Prongs' face appeared in the glass, and Sirius relayed the information he had just acquired.

On the way to the headmaster's office, Sirius spotted Remus and Chris snogging behind a statue. He grabbed Moony's arm and yanked him down the corridor. Chris followed.

"OY! Padfoot?! What's got into...?"

Remus noticed Frank and Alice running up ahead. He knew something was wrong. Frank was shouting at all the wandering students to get into their common rooms, and do whatever their prefects told them to. A frightened first year girl started to cry. Kids lept out of their way as they rounded the corner. Soon, they found Lily and James trotting at their heels. Finally, they reached Dumbledore's office.

"Candynut clusters," Frank shouted from a few feet away. The stairway appeared. Sirius climbed up first, leading the way. They hurried into the warm, trinket-filled room at the top to find Marlene already up there, sitting on a spindly chair. She looked like she had just been in a train-wreck. Her hair was frizzing, her make-up smeared by the tears that kept coming. She had a bruise on her right arm. Her dirty robes were torn and singed in some spots. Christiana and Lily went over and put their arms around her, and found that Marlene was shaking uncontrollably. James entered the office behind the girls. The first thing he saw was Dumbledore's graven face. He looked extremely worried. Deciding enough of the requested students were there, the headmaster began to explain.

"I have asked all of you to come here for an important reason, no doubt. But first, I must know that all of you are up to any task that I ask of you, even a dangerous one."

They all nodded their heads in agreement, so he continued.

"As you well know, Lord Voldemort has been in hiding lately, letting his supporters do his dirty work. I am so very sorry to announce that he has finally emerged, near Albania. To protect the lives of all wizarding and muggle people alike, we have developed a secret organization, called the Order of the Phoenix. I ask you all to join me as a part of this order. We strive to defeat Voldemort, to prove that good can always conquer evil. I have assigned another member's son, a student, to go undercover and see what information he could find. It turns out that some students at Hogwarts have already joined the ranks of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. One of them attacked our spy just a while earlier, and then all of them, to my knowledge, left the school soon after. The young man was transferred to St. Mungo's almost immediately."

"Professor... may I ask who was attacked?" Lily asked.

"Yes, of course, Miss Evans. His name is Walden Macnair."

At this, Marlene let out a sob. Chris and Lily held her with the sorrow that only best friends could. Sirius turned to look at her. He saw in her face the same sadness that had overcome it when he ended their relationship last year. But something was different this time. She had more... worry, in her expression. Could she possibly fancy Macnair? A slytherin? Impossible. It must be the shock of everything. Of course it was, You-Know-Who was out of his short-lived period of rumors and hiding. Voldemort was at large.

"Now. We know that the students seem to have headed in the direction of Hogsmeade. We're guessing that they are meeting and planning something there, especially since Voldemort has revealed himself. There's been speculation that Voldemort is planning to launch an attack on Hogwarts, through the students. We need you to find and stop them, as soon as possible. Our Aurors are working on Voldemort's trail at the moment, and we need you to help in this chaotic time of war. Please. You're my last hope. I must secure the safety of my students. The dangers for this mission are now fully outweighed by the threat these young followers pose. We must act now. We will not lose our dear Walden, but we do need to save the rest of the school. You must be brave, and go soon as possible. Miss McKinnon here has already attempted to stop a few of the Death Eaters from leaving school grounds, and you can see what happened to her. Please... tell me that you are up to this task."

Sirius felt a lurch in his stomach. If he was about to go fight, and could possibly lose his life, Marlene had to know how he felt. She had to know that he still loved her. That he had never stopped. He knew it would never fix the damage he caused her, but she had to know. Sirius got up and walked over to her. Kneeling down, he took Marlene's hands in his, and gently raised her from the wooden chair to her feet. Chris and Lily let go of their distraught friend as Sirius looked into Marlene's glazed eyes. Through her choking and heaving, he spoke calmly and quietly. "Marlene. Before I go I have to let you know that I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. I only wanted to protect you from myself. I was a downright stupid git, and I hope someday you can forgive me. But for now, know this - I never stopped loving you..." He leaned in and kissed her. She tasted like tears and regret.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter 19 - Beauty In The Breakdown

Marlene's head was pounding with confusion. Everything around her was blurry through the tears. What was going on? She didn't know how it could possibly be happening, but it was - he was kissing her. She felt his lips moving with hers, and her sobs quieted. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. This was the way it was always supposed to be. He and she - together again at last. But something felt wrong. His lips were too thin, his frame too shaky, the moment to sudden. Marlene opened her eyes to find not her husband, but Sirius Black.

* * *

><p>Laura and Av had gotten the message Lily scribbled onto a bewitched paper bird. The hallways were eerily empty on the way to the headmaster's office, and they knew something was wrong. Gasping for breath, they climbed the spiral staircase. The exact moment Marlene pulled away from Sirius, Av and Laura burst through the office door. They paused as they took in Sirius holding Marlene's hands, the two standing close, an expression of puzzlement and surprise on Marlene's face. Marlene looked up at Sirius and said, embarrassed, "Sirius... I need to tell you something. Uhm... I'm... I'm married. To Walden…"<p>

Silence filled the room between her words.

"I know... I should have told you before. I didn't know, Sirius. I'm so sorry..." She began to shake violently, fighting back more tears. Her eyes dropped to the rug over the hardwood floor in shame. Soon after, her trembling body followed, and Sirius caught her as she collapsed into a sobbing heap. Marlene slid slowly to the ground, trying to calm herself down, but as she counted the seconds of her inhales and exhales, her heartbeat quickened and tightness clenched her chest. She ached with worry for Walden. She didn't know what she would do without him. Her whole life now revolved around him, and she knew she couldn't make it if he wasn't there by her side. But Dumbledore had assured her that he would be okay. How he knew that, she didn't know, but once again, she believed the old man. It was the only hope she had left.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Laura had worked out what just happened between Sirius and Marlene. She felt her whole world was crashing around her. The world had started spinning so fast that she could only see blurs of colors. She heard a wind roaring in her ears as her hands clenched into fists, her manicured nails digging into her palms, making them bleed. Lily let go of James' hand to catch Laura, with the help of Av, before she, too, hit the ground. Laura was too deep shock - she couldn't cry, she couldn't talk, and it was all that she could do to keep breathing. Sirius looked up from Marlene's tiny body to see his girlfriend standing with her weight against Lily. Slowly, he walked over to her. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. As Laura blindly opened it, he shrunk away in sadness.<p>

"I meant to give this to you earlier... Laura... I'm so sorry... I'm so... ashamed..." She stared down at the swaying scribbles on the parchment, trying to focus her gaze long enough to read the words on the paper. After deciphering the simple note, her eyes returned to him. And then the spinning stopped. Her whole world simply... stopped.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**AN - If I get 2 more followers today (1/25) for this story, I will post another chapter before 9 PM!**

Chpt. 20 - First Initiation

Laura felt the anger of rejection fill her up. A blind passion overwhelmed her as Dumbledore explained the mission to herself and Av. Everyone was up for it. The group of friends pushed as many depressing thoughts as possible to the back of their minds. They grabbed their broomsticks and flew over to Hogsmeade in silence, no idea what to expect when they got there. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary as they landed in front of The Three Broomsticks pub. James threw out the idea that they should split up, but not too much. Everyone hastily agreed, no one wanted to be alone. Death Eaters alone were dangerous, even if they were only students, but when the possibility of facing multiple Death Eaters, possibly even ones who were not students, was added, then everything got extremely confusing and complicated. Lily and James headed for the mountain caves just on the outskirts of the town. Laura, Av, Frank, and Alice went into the Three Broomsticks to ask Rosmerta, the barmaid and their old friend, who had graduated Hogwarts a few years prior, what she knew. Chris and Remus walked cautiously up and down the streets and alleyways, with Sirius flying a few feet in the air above them, scanning the roads and buildings for anything out of the ordinary. A few minutes later, a solemn Marlene flew past him and dismounted next to Chris. Remus gave Chris a goodbye kiss and hopped back on his broom. He and Sirius flew up a few more feet into sky and began circling the silent Hogsmeade and its surrounding area, racking their brains for a plan. Everything had been so hectic and rushed. They barely knew what was happening, let alone what might happen in the future.

* * *

><p>"They seemed to be headed for the caves. But, be careful, kids. I don't want any of you to get hurt. I hope Dumbledore knows what he's doing... Well, I mean, sure he does, but... this is so scary... an attack on Hogwarts, you say? You really think they would try it?" Rosmerta was pacing the floor in front of the bar, her tall red heels clacking against the wooden floor. The four teenagers ran out of the warm pub and into the afternoon light that was soon becoming evening. Everything seemed too quiet. Afraid of what might be happening to Lily and James, they pushed their broomsticks as fast as they could go towards the hills. Then, through the wind whistling in their ears, they heard the scream of a woman ring through the air. Laura couldn't help but turn around and look back. She saw a burnt hole in the side of the Three Broomsticks. Laura turned her head back around and took a deep, slow breath. She didn't want to see what had happened to her friend. As they whipped through the sky, they shouted to Remus and Sirius, who in turn, flew down to alert the girls. But by that point in time, the two Death Eaters that had blasted their way into the Three Broomsticks had already found Chris and Marlene. Remus shouted to Marlene to follow Sirius, and she uncomplainingly flew up into the air.<p>

"Go! Get her out of here! Go help Prongs!" Remus shouted to his friend hovering 20 feet above him. Sirius nodded, and he and Marlene reluctantly swerved off to the hills, following Frank, Alice, Laura, and Av, leaving Christiana and Remus to stay behind to deal with the two masked wizards. The four of them began to duel, Chris and Remus fighting hand in hand, each completely frightened out of their wit's end.

The group arrived at the rocky mountain caves to find Lily and James already in combat with another handful of Death Eaters. Sirius was able to run past some of them to go further into the mountain passes. He cast a hex that he had recently learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts and catching one Death Eater on fire. Smelling the rotten singe and hearing the sounds of a man scream as his flesh burned made it clear to Sirius that he would never cast the hex again. As he stumbled across the stone path, Sirius heard a spell being uttered from behind him. Immediately after the word was spoken, his body filled with searing pain. His arms flailed in an early attempt to cast off the hurt; he found himself gritting his teeth and forcing his muscles to tighten, bracing his body, but nothing he did to lessen the pain had any effect. Soon he was curled in a ball, screaming for help, blinded by the burning and ripping sensations within him. He couldn't remember where he was, what he was doing, or why he was in pain. He wished that the curse would let him die, but death would not come. Suddenly, a beam of red light flashed past him and struck the Death Eater controlling his torture. The hooded figure fell over, stunned, as Sirius tried to regain enough strength to stand up. His legs wobbled underneath his body weight as he rose, but he knew he must go on to protect the innocent students back at the school. He crawled behind a boulder and began to fire Stunning Spells at the shadowy figures surrounding him, being careful not to hit his friends.

* * *

><p>James was thrown off his feet and skidded to a stop on the dirty ground. He looked up to see Lily, expertly dueling a masked figure a few metres away. He turned his head the other direction and noticed a Death Eater fleeing down the hill towards Hogsmeade. His pursuits felt pointless, the battle impossible. James fired a leg-lock curse and the Death Eater fell to the ground, legs stiff as boards, knees bleeding. Aiming his wand and shooting curses with his free hand, he danced his way through flashes of light until he found himself beside Lily. James sent out a shield from his wand, momentarily entrapping he and Lily in a glowing sphere of protection.<p>

A new found energy ignited in Lily Evans, and she aimed another curse at a big, muscular Death Eater. James ran his hand through her fine, red hair and looked into her gorgeous green eyes, so full of hope. He could still see the laughter and life in them, clouded as they may be by the pandemonium. His friends began to dismount off their brooms near the scene of the fight. Maybe they could win this after all.

Or maybe not. James looked up into the quickly darkening hills as his shield charm broke, hundreds of cloaked figures appearing before his eyes.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**AN - This is my own personal opinion, but let's just say the story only gets crazier from here! Thank you to all my dedicated readers who have made it this far on my FF journey!**

Chpt. 21 - The Dark Lord Appears

At last, Remus bulked up the courage to aim a killing curse on the Death Eaters that were trying to obliterate both him and Chris. He missed, but the two hooded figures apparated quickly out of the area. Shaking, Chris backed up into Remus and let him spin her around into engulf her in a strong embrace. He looked down at her, and saw that she was unharmed. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as she reminded him that their friends needed their help. The two of them could hear both screams of pain and cheers of victory coming from the caves. Unsure of who was winning, they rushed to Remus's broomstick. (Chris's broomstick had been shattered into pieces by one of Voldemort's minions). They sped to the hillside, wands out and ready. It was a breath-taking sight - there were far more Death Eaters than they had expected. Hundreds of witches and wizards in robes of black with frightening masks moved through the caves and mountain passes, despite the new Order members' attempts to hold them back. The dark masses swayed and jerked towards the bottom of the hills. As the minutes dragged on, more experienced wizards and Aurors apparated to the scene, and began to help the teenagers fight. Christiana clung on to Remus tighter as he began to descend, casting spells in the direction of the hooded figures.

Chris looked around for her friends in the mess of spells. She saw each of them, one by one, as they flew closer. Alice, hair singed, was desperately trying to heal Frank's arm, which had a long, fresh brand running down the length of it. James and Lily seemed to be holding up, despite a few bruises and obvious fatigue. Av was dancing to avoid bright yellow beams of light coming from the wand of an unknown source. Laura had a black eye and her hand appeared badly burnt, with a steady stream of swear words leaving her bleeding mouth as she aimed her wand at a female Death Eater whose laughter had an uncanny resemblance to that of Bellatrix Black. Sirius was huddled behind a rock, barely moving, eyes closed. This wasn't good. Marlene was nowhere to be found.

Christiana jumped off Remus's broom as they neared the rocky ground and shouted Marlene's name at the top of her lungs. Out of breath, she ran from hill to hill, from rock to rock, ducking and jumping to avoid the curses flying around her. It was now dusk, and the sunlight was steadily wearing thin. If she didn't find Marlene now, she might never be found. Chris scrambled across the stones and tripped over the body of a stunned Death Eater. Lifting her head from the cold ground, she spotted her friend, scared and hiding in a nearby cave for protection, rubbing her wedding ring that was splattered with blood. Chris ran over to examine her, and found Marlene had twisted her right ankle, and somehow gotten deep cut in her left leg. She was definitely unable to walk or stand. Her eyes were unfocused, and she kept muttering Walden's name in between her short, quick breaths. Chris held tight to Marlene's hand, fearing for her friend's life.

A loud shriek from Bellatrix echoed across the rocks. "UGH! IT'S YOU! I THOUGHT WE FINISHED YOU OFF, YOU LYING, FILTHY TRAITOR! OH WALDY, YOU'RE DADDY WOULD BE SO PROUD! TOO BAD HE DISOBEYED THE DARK LORD AND DIED. SILLY, LITTLE WALDEN, THINKING HE CAN SAVE THE ICKLE, WICKLE, BLOODY STUDENTS. WELL, HE CAN'T! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A flash of green light shone on the cave walls. Walden must have left St. Mungo's without permission and apparated to Hogsmeade to help. Luckily, Bellatrix was running downhill when she cast her curse, and it missed Walden's torso by less than an inch. The heat still left a small wound, singeing the skin and burning with pain. He pulled himself into the cave where Christiana and Marlene were hidden, both hurt. He wrapped his arms around his wife and shushed her softly. Her murmuring stopped and her eyes began to focus in on his face. Weakly, she spoke.

"Walden, I... I have to tell you something… important..."

As Marlene reached the end of her sentence, she drifted into unconsciousness.

"Chris, take care of Marlene. Get her to wake up - all the way. I can't to lose her. If something happens, tell her that I love her. And I always will."

"Of course, but Walden - be careful. Be very careful."

"Don't worry, I will."

Macnair kissed Marlene gently on the forehead. With a grimace, he took a deep breath and pushed himself off the cold, stone ground. He winced again in pain as he hobbled out of the cave, stunning Bellatrix in the process. Chris's attention returned to Marlene, and she attempted her first reviving spell. As soon as Marlene woke up, Chris made sure she was okay, and went out to join in the battle. She was now fueled with a need for revenge, to defend Marlene's honor. An explosion to her right threw her off balance, and she looked up to see Remus not too far away. She pushed through the chaos to get to him. Remus saw her running towards him, and he shouted at her that he loved her. She couldn't hear him over the squealing and moaning and combat, but she was able to read his lips. Backing up to dodge a nasty looking stream of yellow liquid, Lily knocked into Chris, and they both fell over. They found themselves tangled up so much that it was impossible to say who was on top of who. The girls laid on the ground, trying to regain their wits as they deflected curses from every angle.

* * *

><p>The sun had now set, and James Potter stood with his mouth open, staring up at the mysterious, black figure gliding in his direction. This wizard was different from the rest of them. He was far stronger, and a prickling of fear lifted the hairs on James's neck. He could feel the being's power radiate as it passed over him and directed itself straight towards Walden Macnair. A deep, terrifying voice came from the shadowy cloak.<p>

"I only wish to take back what is mine. I am a practical man. Please, let's stop this foolishness. Not that you all will survive long anyway, blood traitors and revolting half-bloods and mudbloods. I But you. You are proving to be most difficult to ignore. It seems you have truly forgotten what it means to be pure. What it means to be true to your Dark Lord. Your mind has been poisoned by the leaders of this cruel world, the same as your parents were easily swayed. I gave you mercy in spite of your father's disloyalty, and this is how you thank me. Now, fool, you will receive your reward."

"Please, just do it. Kill me, go ahead. Get it over with already," Walden muttered, fear quavering his voice.

"Oh no, I would never do such a thing. I am much too noble and kind to waste perfectly good blood… for now. Instead, forget all that you hold dear. Say goodbye to your memories, child. _OBLIVIATE_."


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chpt. 22 - Dumbledore to the Rescue

Marlene watched the curse hit Walden squarely in the chest from the safety of her cave. All alone, surrounded by only rocks, she was screaming. But no one came to help her. No one could hear her. The commotion caused by the spell has turned the duels into riots. Marlene strength was fading. Her head fell back against the cave floor and the crash plummeted her into a world of black.

* * *

><p>Voldemort turned his focus to Remus, who was attempting to stun him with the Stupefy Charm. Voldemort flicked his wand, and a searing gash appeared on the prefect's chest.<p>

Chris rushed from her and Lily's tumble to Remus's side. She wiped her throbbing hand across her eyes to stop the tears, smearing dirt all over her face. She couldn't lose Remus. No way, no how. She loved him so much. Instinctively, she leaned down and let her lips brush against the rough texture of his cheek. He looked up at Chris, and with all the strength in him, kissed her back. She had to know how much he cared about her. He couldn't live without her. And she couldn't live without him.

Within seconds, a crack rang in the air. There stood the noble headmaster, with his crescent moon-shaped spectacles sitting just at the tip of his nose. Dumbledore waved his wand, and shot up red warning sparks into the night air. His angry voice boomed over the cliffs, causing many to cover their ears for protection.

"You will leave my students alone! My school is a sanctuary, and it will not be tainted by your dark magic. Go - now!"

In a black swish of smoke, Voldemort disappeared, his voice echoing, "Dumbledore, I will leave for the moment, but be wise to remember you have not seen the last of me. I will find a way into that school, and my reign will continue. My purpose will prevail!"

The hundreds of Death Eaters in the mountainside followed suit, apparating away, one by one. By this time, it was extremely dark, and therefore hard to tell what was rock and what was man. Professor McGonagall appeared beside Dumbledore, her wand illuminating her face, and began rounding up the students and injured Aurors.

* * *

><p>Lily woke up to find herself in a strange, white room. Her bed was surrounded by flowers, and she would hear someone hustling and bustling a few feet away. Madame Pomfrey walked over to Lily's bed to make sure she was awake, and then magically made a note if the time on the clipboard hanging off the edge of the bed. A flood of memories came back to Lily. The cries of pain, the smell of burning flesh, the darkness surrounding her. She sat up in the hospital bed to examine her injuries. She had fared pretty well. She had a few minor bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. Looking up at the calendar clock, she saw that not yet a day had passed since the terrible night. It was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon then, and she was the first of the group to wake. Whispering, she asked Madame Pomfrey how the others were doing.<p>

"Well, deary, everyone is going to pull through. Let me run down the list… let's see… Mister Potter had a few burns, but nothing major. Laura and Christiana don't seem to be in such bad shape either."

Madame Pomfrey counted the injured students on her fingers as she listed their injuries.

"Those two girls have a few more bruises than you, and a few more scrapes, but they only need some rest, that's all. Av, unfortunately broke her arm and lost a pinkie finger, I'll be able to grow it back, of course, although it'll hurt. Sirius has some nasty side-affects of being put under the Cruciatus Curse, and will need a lot of medication, but he'll be fine, physically, in a few days. Frank was unconscious for most of the day, he woke up an hour or so ago and went back to sleep. Alice is still out cold, poor thing. Mister Lupin still has a big cut across his torso and shoulder, but it will heal quickly. Obviously, that's not all he got now, but... yes. And then, let's see... Miss McKinnon, erm... Macnair? Well… any way you'll have it, she's suffered the most. A concussion and just about everything else that could have gone wrong… There was a time early this morning that, truthfully, I thought I was going to lose her, but somehow, miraculously, she pulled through. Her legs are just fine now... I was finally able to untwist them... so their okay… and so is her..." Madame Pomfrey's voice steadily drifted off as she went back to attending to her patients, lost in thought. Although she was still a tad worried about her friends, Lily let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't go back to sleep now, so she picked up a crossword book on her bedside table and began to flip through it, trying to get her mind off the scene of the night before. She couldn't help but notice Madame Pomfrey had not mentioned if Walden was alright.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chpt. 23 - Friends And A Wedding

The whole school was still buzzing a week later. Had You-Know-Who really shown up in Hogsmeade? Did the Head Boy and Girl really fight them? But none of the friends really seemed to care about all the gossip. They were more concerned about the troubles that still awaited them. Marlene was still in the hospital wing, and most of the older Slytherins were still missing, including Snape and Macnair. Laura was still depressed about her and Sirius's break-up. And now, Lily and James had to plan their wedding.

With the war going on, they felt the best policy to follow would be the sooner the better. The two decided that it would be on the last Saturday before school got out, so that any Hogwarts student that wanted to attend would be able to. So they sent out invitations to their parents and all other relatives and friends outside of Hogwarts. The couple got permission to hold the ceremony out on the grounds, near the lake, and the reception was to be in the Great Hall. Although they weren't sure what the turnout would be, Lily asked her friends if they would allow the couple to keep an extremely small wedding party of a two. Sirius was going to be best man, and, as long as she was up to it, Marlene would be the Maid of Honor. Their friends fully agreed that this was an acceptable request, and busied themselves with other wedding duties. Anavia volunteered to be in charge of decorations, and they graciously accepted, since she was by far the most artistic person they knew. Chris was going to sing for them, of course. Av, Remus, and Laura helped out wherever and whenever they were needed. Still, James and Lily felt as if they were missing someone. Counting off everyone they had been spending the most time with in the hospital wing, everyone seemed accounted for. They were chattering on about the color of the groomsmen's dress robes over breakfast one morning when they realized who they had forgotten.

"Hey Prongs! Lily!"

"Why 'ello, Wormtail... WORMTAIL!"

"Why are you talking about dress robes?"

"Wormtail... Sirius and I will be wearing them for my bloody wedding!"

So Peter Pettigrew would be in charge of food. It felt good to have everyone involved. Everyday that the wedding grew closer, that the plans became more solid and the decisions more concrete, Marlene's health greatly improved. She was doing physical therapy with Madam Pomfrey every day, and slept in the Hospital Wing, but soon, she was fit enough to agree to being the maid of honor. Since her spirit was still heavily broken,it was hard for her to get too excited over things as simple as clothing and flowers. Lily and the girls picked out her maid of honor dress - it was floor length, and a lovely shade of olive green, with a cream sash around the waist that tied in a simple bows on Marlene's back. It was absolutely stunning on her. But Lily's wedding dress was the most stunning part of all. It glowed, her white gown with extravagant beading on the bodice. A sweetheart top highlighted her curves, and a diamond of lace was sewn into the back of the dress, where it fastened. Her shoes were made of silk, and her jewelry was delicate white gold. On the day of the wedding, everything went perfectly as planned. Lily's hair fell in ringlets around her face, the red dancing with small white speckles from Lilies of the Valley, covered by a shimmering veil. Her pale, slender fingers clung tightly to her bouquet of seven yellow roses.

* * *

><p>When she arrived in the foyer just inside the castle's front doors, his breath was knocked out of his body. Everything about her was beyond beautiful. Her everyday plain-jane looks that he had observed everyday at school had been thrown out the window and replaced with flourishing perfection. But there was a strange paleness to her body, a distant struggle in her walk, a separation in her face. Her mind was clearly somewhere else. That somewhere else was easy to guess, of course Marlene was still worried about Walden; he hadn't been found after the Battle at Hogsmeade, and still no one was quite sure where he was or if he was okay. Sirius knew what it felt like, to wonder how the one he loved was doing, to wonder if they would make it, and to wonder if they still loved him. Yep. He had been riding that same roller coaster since he awoke from his Cruciatus Curse-induced coma.<p>

A weak smile escaped her thin lips when his eyes caught hers. Sirius walked over to Marlene and wrapped her in his arms.

"It's going to be okay, Mar."

Those were the first words he had said to her since he told her he still loved her.

"I know, Sirius. It's just… really hard. At least today I have something to keep my mind off it," she replied.

"True. The celebration of two young, infatuated idiots getting married before term is even over."

Sirius didn't actually think Lily and James were idiots. He thought they were both smart and brave. They knew what they wanted, and they stopped at nothing to get it. His mind wandered back to what James had told him on their first day at Hogwarts during the back to school feast.

_"Look at that girl! Lily Evans, they said her name was. She's smoking hot! Sirius, as my new best mate, I'm telling you this in confidence - I'm going to marry that girl someday."_

And today was finally that day. It took James approximately fifteen minutes to decide his whole future, and then he dedicated every waking moment to making those dreams come true. All Sirius ever did was mess things up. He looked down at Marlene standing trapped in his grasp, a tear welling up in her eye. His finger reached up and brushed it away.

"Hey, now. Save the tears for when you see the bride. I heard that's what you're supposed to do at these things."

"Thanks, Sirius. For everything. And I mean it. You really are a great friend."

He forced himself to let go of her, and shrugged off her compliment with a sly smile. Footsteps echoed in the hallway and Lily and her father came into view. Lily looked flawless, radiating happiness and excitement.

"You still have time to run, Evans. He hasn't trapped you quite yet," Sirius joked casually.

"I think we both know he trapped me a long, long time ago, Sirius," Lily answered, her face beaming back at him.

* * *

><p>The whole school came to the wedding, along with plenty of Potters and Lily's immediate family (the ones who knew she was a witch, of course). Lily's mother sat in the first row, crying tears of joy. Marlene and Sirius walked down the aisle and split off to reveal Mr. Evans leading his daughter towards James Potter at the end of the grassy aisle. He gave his daughter away, and Lily could see the tears welling up in her father's eyes. By the time they got to the vows, there was not a dry eye in the crowd. When Dumbledore cried out, "I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU MR. AND MRS. POTTER. YOU MAY KISS YOUR LOVELY BRIDE," the whole mass stood up, cheering.<p>

Sirius walked over to the crowd as the couple kissed and muttered to Remus, jokingly, "Aw... our very own little Prongsiepoo... All grown up. What could possibly be more exciting?"


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chpt. 24 - Long Strides

The new couple had taken and passed their finals early so that they could leave for their honeymoon on their wedding day. Lily and James left for America with both pleasure and guilt on their shoulders. The two of them couldn't wait to start their life together, but it was sad leaving their friends behind, especially when so much was still going on. But their parents convinced them that it was the right thing to do. So they went.

Chris watched the couple apparate into thin air. Staring across the now empty, wide open field of grass where Lily and James had been standing only moments before, it struck her that Lily was really gone. She was no longer a teenager,or a student. Lily was a real adult. A married woman. A responsible, beautiful wife. With all of her heart, Christiana wished her friend luck. Then, she turned to Remus and looked up at his face and smiled. She knew one person that would never leave her.

* * *

><p>Laura couldn't stand it anymore. She turned away from the site of the couple's departure and ran up the hill behind her. As she neared the school, she shook her long ponytail, turned to her right, and kept running, full speed. Running had always been something she took pride in; she always won childhood races against James and the other wizard children that grew up in their neighborhood. Even as a teenager, she still occasionally woke up early to run around the Hogwarts grounds before class. But now, it was not for pleasure that she ran, it was for release. Laura pushed herself harder and harder, faster and faster. Her limbs stretched out beneath her, the cool breeze singed against her skin. The wind was the only thing that felt real to her. Her lungs gasped for air and her mind kept telling her to stop, but she wouldn't. When she reached the Forbidden Forest, she tripped and finally sunk to the ground. Her legs burned hot from the intensity of her run. Her head was throbbing.<p>

Her breath began to slow down and her heart eased its way back into her chest from her throat. It was hard to think. She couldn't stand being still. So she got back up and began to run once more. Laura wished with all her heart and soul that she could just run forever and never have to stop. Just run into the wind and let it carry her to where she belonged. But where she ended up instead was a scalding shower in the girls dormitory bath. Hot water stung against her cheeks. She couldn't tell what was the shower and what was tears. Her hands attempted to scrub out the inner hurt with a fiery force, but all it did was make her skin red and blotchy. Her heart ached so much that it filled every inch inside her. But Laura knew she must continue. She must learn to get over it, because she had been wrong. Sirius wasn't who she thought he was, and anyways, she was good at this sort of thing - hurt and depression. It was what she knew her whole life, before Sirius entered the picture, that is. Laura retired to bed around 6 o'clock. No one bothered to wake her up the next morning.

* * *

><p>Marlene Macnair was excused from her finals, and took advantage of her free time to go up to see the headmaster. She deserved some more information, didn't she? Upon her arrival in his office, Dumbledore sat behind his desk, hands folded. He had apparently been expecting her. Marlene sat down opposite him and looked up at the old man with a melancholy expression on her face. He smiled sadly at her and began to tell her what she had come to hear.<p>

"My dear. Walden is not dead. Nor will he die. Do not fear."

"But how do you know? How are you so sure?"

"You saved him. That's how I know."

The troubled teen stared at Dumbledore with confusion.

"Ah. You didn't figure it out. You see, Miss Macnair, your love protected him. You gave up yourself, your life, to marry this man. This enemy. And he did the same for you. I had told the students at the start of first semester to bond together. Your bond of marriage, your acceptance and love resulted in a magic that Voldemort cannot understand. Voldemort cannot love, and I heard from a very reliable source that he was also powerless to destroy it."

"What source could tell you something like that?"

"A woman by the name of Cassandra Trelawney told me decades ago. You see, she was an aged Seer, and a remarkable one at that. When I was made a professor at Hogwarts, she came to me and told me of a prophecy that was made about myself as future headmaster, and the first son of Walden's father."

"A prophecy? About Walden? What did it say?"

_"When evil rises, the boy's only protection will be the joining of the houses, a contract drawn between enemies by the headmaster who has learned and lost much. The love will save them both, the love will always save, until evil has finally lost his souls."_

Dumbledore took a pause for effect, and went on, "So you see, my dear, Walden Macnair is very much alive. I assure you. When Walden's mother came to me for help, I knew what I was to do. The Dark Lord was after his family and yours, and I did the only thing I hoped could save you. To make two fall in love with their enemies."

"I was in grave danger because… You-Know-Who was after my family?"

"Yes, my dear, Voldemort was especially after you too. He was afraid of the power that your mother possessed before she was killed - she was a wonderful Healer and amazing at charms. It wouldn't have been long before he assumed that you inherited her skills."

"I suppose everything makes sense… maybe. It's all a little… overwhelming, you know? Gosh, I'm starving. Would it be okay if I excused myself to go downstairs and have some lunch?"

"I think that would be a splendid idea. Try a boysenberry tart for me, I heard they are remarkable this time of year."

**AN: Who's ready to find Walden? I know I am! Stay tuned... ;)**


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Chpt. 25 - A Weeping in the Dungeons, A Cry to Forget

Marlene was still excessively worried as she headed down to the Great Hall. She wandered through the halls, lost in thought, and found herself walking down a passageway she had never been down before. It led to somewhere in the dungeons, and the walls appeared more and more grimy as she walked on. She could hear water dripping from the ceiling. Everything reminded her of the damp, stone room in which she and Walden had signed their wedding contract. Even though Walden had been a Slytherin, the two had avoided the dungeons altogether, since they were the most likely place to get found out by other members of his house. Up ahead, she thought she saw something move. It looked like a wall had just swallowed up a shadow. Marlene pushed herself into a niche in the wall and listened for voices.

"I know it's here somewhere. Hurry up! It won't be long before someone discovers us. Hurry! He needs this - Lucius told me it was of the utmost importance to find that book, so find it!"

Bellatrix. Marlene peeked around from her hiding spot to see a tall, muscular blond, carelessly searching a room with mossy green couches that could be seen from a small opening in the wall. A gasp escaped her lips and he turned around at the sound.

It was him. It was really him! Marlene could barely contain her joy. He really was alive. Dumbledore was right. A full archway appeared in the stone and Walden stepped out of the room, looking around. Marlene ran to him, and put her arms around him, clinging onto him tightly and pressing her face into his chest like she always loved to. He pushed her off angrily, and she fell onto the cold floor. Marlene looked up into his eyes, an icy glare returning her gaze of confusion. Everything felt too exactly close to that summer day spent in the cold, dark room. A chill ran down her spine and a tear rolled down her face. This couldn't be her Walden. Could it? The one who risked his life to come save her in Hogsmeade was not the one standing in front of her. What had happened? Then she remembered that Walden had been hit with a memory loss spell. Images of the brilliant flash that caused her so much turmoil filled her brain. Bellatrix looked over at Marlene from across the dimly lit room and sneered, followed by hastily returning to searching for whatever she was searching for. Marlene turned her gaze and her thoughts back to Walden.

"Walden? It's me. Marlene. Can you hear me? Walden? Don't you know me? Can't you remember me? I... I'm your wife."

He looked at her in confusion, and then disgust.

"Yeah.. I know you all right. You're a filthy, rotten, no-good Gryffindor brat. What did you say? My wife? Lifeless piece of scum. No one in their right mind would even give you a second glance. You look like sh- today, by the way. Did Gryffindor lower their standards?"

Marlene began to hyperventilate as she whispered to herself.

"No... this can't be... no... no... NO! NO, Walden, I LOVE you. You... you have to remember. You just HAVE TO! WALDEN!"

By now, she was sobbing through her words that echoed on the dungeon walls. Her hands frantically searched her pockets for any trinkets that might remind him of her, but it was no use. All of her treasures that she kept from him were locked in her trunk back in the common room. But she wouldn't give up hope just yet.

"Look at my finger? This ring, it used to be your grandmother's. Please, look at it! I'm telling the truth! WALDEN!"

The boy that she used to know started at her blankly, and began to turn away from her. Her hand grabbed the end of his robes, feebly pulling him back. Her body fell over onto the length of his robes skimming the floor, effectively keeping him from going too far away.

"You don't understand, I can't live without you! Don't leave me! Don't... let them do this, Walden, don't let them. Don't... let them brainwash you... No. You're good. Your parents were good. And you love me. I know you do. _They erased your memory!_" Marlene was yelling as loud as she could through her streaming tears. At this point, she was unsure who she was trying to convince more, Walden or herself.

"My parents died serving the Dark Lord. Their murderers erased my memory. How dare you speak of my family and my pain! How dare you?!"

A slap across her tear-streaked face broke what was left of her composure. Her heart was breaking faster than she ever imagined possible. He had to know her. He just had to.

Walden yanked his robes out from underneath her and returned to ripping the Slytherin common room apart. As he searched, her eyes found his left hand. No ring. She looked down at hers. Her ring was steadily fading into thin air. She grabbed at it, shrieking in fear.

"No! NO! COME BACK!" she cried, her right hand clinging to her finger. "NO. WALDEN! NO! You can't let this happen. I love you. Remember me. Remember the dancing? Re-re-remember? Please! Walden! I... I never got to tell you..."

Her voice finally trailed off at the end of her last word, as Bellatrix exclaimed that the thing must not be there. She turned around suddenly and spat in Marlene's direction.

"Hmph. What an earth are you still going on about, you crazy girl. What a wreck!" Bellatrix whispered, adding an evil wink at the end of her words. Marlene looked up at Macnair as the two Slytherins stepped over her weak, quivering body, and headed for the end of the passageway. Marlene continued her hopeless wailing.

"Oh... What about me, Walden? What about France? And what happened to forever? What will happen... to me? What will happen to our… our Ellie?"

She choked on the word 'Ellie". He turned and looked at her with a dazed face while she cried.

"Yes. ELLIE. Our daughter. Ellie. She's right here, Walden. I'm pregnant. And she's right here... and if you leave now she will never grow to love her daddy like I did. Like I do. I love you..."

She murmured whispers of her love as her hand floated up in another desperate attempt to reach him.

"Get away from me before I kill you," Walden said as walked coldly out of the passageway with Bellatrix. Marlene looked once more at her finger. Her ring was gone.

**AN: Please, let me know what you think of the newest twists, and any other feedback to help improve the story! My readers rock! :)**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**AN: Let's take a break from the drama of Marlene and check on the rest of the gang...**

Chpt. 26 - Scratches

What was still left of the gang sat in the Gryffindor common room together. Finals were over. There were two days of school left. During the last days, most of the teachers had big parties to celebrate the hard work that the students put into the entire year. But this year, with Voldemort on the rise, most of the students didn't feel like celebrating. So, in an attempt to stay optimistic, Chris, Remus, Peter, Sirius, Laura, Av, Marlene, and Anavia sat in the Gryffindor common room, playing cards. Six-handed Wizard Euchre, to be exact, where the losing cards burst into flames and remained ashes until the round was over. The game got their minds off everything for awhile, including the tensions and awkwardness strung within the group. Soon, it was dinner time. Marlene said she would rather just stay upstairs, so the rest of the friends left her alone and went down to the Great Hall. Chris sat by Remus, trying to get in some conversation before he had to leave. That night was a full moon.

After they were done eating, Remus looked up at the enchanted ceiling that showed the sky outside. It was twilight; almost dark. He wasn't sure how he had missed the time slipping away. He couldn't afford to make stupid mistakes like this when Christiana was around.

"Guys!" he shouted, and he, Sirius, and Peter got up from the table and scrambled for the passageway. Sirius urged Remus to go faster, as he didn't have much time. The boys ran down a flight of stone steps. Sirius transformed into a dog as he rounded a corner. Peter jumped up into the air and landed on Sirius's back, in rat form. Lupin ran quickly behind them. When the boys reached the outdoors, the sun had already begun to sink below the horizon. The Whomping Willow was just a stretch away. Remus ran, but he didn't make it. He let out a scream of pain as his spine cringed and twisted. Hair grew all over his body, each one a torturing needle pressing through his flesh. He closed his eyes to try to lessen the pain, but it didn't work. They snapped back open, yellow and shining, like two golden coins. He snapped his powerful jaws together and ran off in the opposite direction of the Whomping Willow.

Sirius ran after his friend. This was not good. When he caught up to Moony, he tackled him to the ground, slashing his friends back with his untrimmed nails. The black dog barked at the werewolf to head in the direction of the Whomping Willow, but it didn't make a difference. Sirius had no choice. He bit into the monster and it let out an ear-shattering cry.

Remus's pupils shrunk and his expression was wild and afraid. He tried to jerk off the dark animal that was hurting him, but all it did was hurt him more as the teeth sank farther into his muscle. That, and it gave Sirius some major whiplash. Peter scurried off towards the tree, catching Remus's eye. The wolf-like creature followed the rodent through the dewy grass and chilly air.

Chris heard the howls of pain through the castle walls. They were not the normal howls that she had heard the boys talk of. Remus was in trouble. Something had happened to him. Maybe it was Voldemort. Or another wild creature. Whatever it was, she had to save him. She jumped up and ran across the stone floor. As she opened up the door to the Great Hall, Av grabbed onto Christiana's arms and held her back. Chris turned around, wriggling herself free and slapped Av across the face.

"HOW DARE YOU? HE NEEDS ME, AV! I love him and I can't let him get hurt like this. Something's wrong."

"You'll get hurt. As your best friend, Chris, I can't let you go out there."

"Too bad," Christiana said, taking off down the corridor.

As much as Av wanted to go after her friend, she had too much common sense for that. She went off to find a professor, but they were in a meeting with the Minister of Magic that night and couldn't be disturbed.

* * *

><p>Chris twisted her ankle when she was running down the gently curving steps. Despite her small pain, she got up and kept running. When she got outside, she took a look around. Squinting through the dark, she didn't see Remus or either of his companions, so she decided to head in the direction of the Whomping Willow. When she got there, she noticed the knob in the tree that didn't look quite like the rest of them, like Remus had mentioned. A long stick was lying near the base of the tree. She grabbed it and used it to push on the gnarly root, being careful to avoid the tree's vicious blows. The branches stopped flying, and the tree stopped attacking. A large opening in the roots appeared, and Chris slid down into it just before the tree jumped back into life. A long, dark tunnel lay ahead of her. "<em>Lumos<em>," she whispered, and the tip of her wand ignited. She used the light to carefully navigate through the dirt-walled hallway, occasionally stopping to make sure nothing else was in the passage. After what she supposed to be half an hour at least, she saw a blue, wooden door up ahead. She turned the rusty knob and opened it as a rat scrambled past her feet. She shrieked, but quickly recomposed herself. She couldn't be afraid of a little rodent if she was going to help Remus.

Christiana stepped through the doorway into a darkly lit room. It had a dusty, ripped up couch and a few upturned tables inside. The windows were all boarded up, and there were claw marks everywhere. The furniture was barely held together and had scratches on every inch of it. The eeriness of the room sent chills down her spine. She spied another door at the opposite end of the room. As she headed towards it, she heard the sound of a dog's barking, followed by the whimpering cry that had drawn her to the mysterious scene in the first place. Sirius the dog scampered into the room from the same blue door that Chris had entered by. The poor thing had a huge gash on his shoulder and was bleeding severely. He transformed back into a human and grabbed Chris's arms.

"Why are you here!? Do you have a death wish? What in the world were you thinking?!"

"Remus was in trouble! I had to help him."

"What? He wasn't in trouble. Innocent passerby, yes, but not Remus. Get in that next room, I'll try to hold him back until I can get him out of here. Lock the door, barricade it, and see if you can find a way out! Hurry, here he comes!"

As she scrambled through the door into a long, dusty hallway, she heard something, presumably Remus, enter the room. He howled and threw something against the wall. Peering through the door's keyhole, Christiana saw a strange creature sniffing the air, not moving since a black dog, Sirius, was snarling and growling at him. The dust in the house was impossible to breathe in, and she tried her best to hold back a sneeze. Her attempt was no good, and she let out an 'ah-choo'. The werewolf flung himself towards her. Sirius jumped in front of the door and began to bark madly, scraping his paws against it and biting into its leg. But once again, that didn't stop the thing. It grabbed a hold of the dog's neck and flung him to the wall. Sirius fell to the ground and landed unconscious on top of the rat, formally known as Peter Pettigrew, that was subsequently sent unconscious at the blow.

The werewolf howled in hunger and turned again to the door. Chris backed up and began to run down the hallway, trying every door she saw. They were all locked. The werewolf burst through the wood and swiveled his head towards her. Christiana screamed in terror as the thing leaped at her. She ducked under his sharp claws and back into the living room. The table that had been thrown earlier was now blocking the way out. Trying to move it was useless, it was huge, and made out of solid, sturdy wood. Instead, the scared girl began to tug at a plank of wood over one of the windows. That too, was no use. Remus, who, at that moment, was certainly not Remus at all, charged back into the room. His body turned to face the piece of meat shivering in the corner of the room. Chris looked up into his eyes. They were no longer the eyes of her loved one. They had become evil; yellow and glowing with rage. He snapped his bone-crushing jaws at her and she stared at the gleaming, sharp teeth. Frozen in fear, Chris made no more attempts to save herself. Four long, blade-like claws ripped into her arm. She screamed. Didn't he have any control at all? Couldn't he stop himself from hurting the one that he loved? She had to find out.

"Remus Lupin! I know you're in there somewhere. It's Chris. Please stop. I'm so scared. You're hurting me. Please, stop it," she whispered through the pain.

The werewolf paid no attention to her words. Instead, he let his jaws sink into her leg, the warm blood gushing into his mouth. Christiana couldn't cry. She wouldn't. The last thing she saw were those wild, evil eyes; yellow and glowing.

**AN: Thank you to those who are continually reviewing. You guys have greatly influenced a lot in the story so far.**

**I want to get thoughts on the beginning of this chapter. I feel like it jumps too sharply from Marlene to allofasuddenRemusisawerewolf. Any ideas to improve the flow? Please Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chpt. 27 - Thunder

Remus woke up with a huge bump on his head. He looked around to see sunlight streaming through the wooden boards on the windows and onto the thin film of dust. Sirius, still in Animagus form, was on the ground to his right. Peter was nowhere to be seen. Remus also noticed that the door to the room was wide open. It was supposed to be locked. Something wasn't right. He tried to remember everything he could from the night before. Talking to Christiana. Kissing her goodbye. Running from the Great Hall. That's where it stopped.

Looking back down, he noticed his ripped clothes were covered in blood. On the ground, he saw streaks of fresh blood around him. It appeared as if a bleeding animal had been drug carelessly around the room. Scared of what might have happened, Remus followed the tracks for a few moments, and then something caught his eye. A few long hairs were floating in the red liquid by his feet. He picked them up and wiped them off. They were long and black. Frantically, he dropped to his knees and crawled on the floor, tracing the blood. Laying between the torn couch and the wall on the right side of the room was Chris. Remus scrambled to her, his throat tightening. Tears spilling from his eyes, he picked up her fragile, broken body. At first, he thought she might still be alive, her body was still so warm and flexible in his arms. She could not have been dead for more than half an hour.

Chris's school robes were soaked in blood. The skin of her right leg was torn, with bite marks all over it, and the bone splintered in two. Her arms and back had been all but ripped apart. Her face was worst of all. Remus could barely recognize her through the gash. He held her in his arms and willed life to return to her. He sobbed and howled, hopelessly kissing her wounds and trying every healing charm he could remember. And finally, when every movement hurt so much that he couldn't move any longer, Remus just sat there, wishing. Wishing that she was still there with him. Wishing he was back at school the night before, leaving early to go to the shack. Wishing Christiana was still alive. Wishing he had not been the one to kill her.

How could he have let himself do it? He loved her. He told her the risk, and she took it. But stupidly, so did he. He acted selfishly, and now his darkest nightmare was his living hell. He saw Christiana's wand lying a few feet away, splintered. When he picked it up, the wood fell apart in his shaking hands. Chris's voice filtered out of the broken splinters and filled the room, waking Sirius and Peter. As they changed back into human form, a song floated above their heads, accompanied by Moony's mourning wails.

_Sighing the sun leaves her place in the sky..._

_The moon follows her beauty, and rests way up high._

_His shadows are lonely, his color is pale,_

_But always he follows her flames without fail._

_He chases her all through the evening and night._

_Follows, and tries to see a way that he might_

_Make the sun his, and forever they'll be,_

_But he knows in heart that she'll always be free._

As Christiana's voice faded away for the last time, Remus thought about how the absence of voice that filled his heart and soul for so long would make his life so much emptier. Nothing seemed real anymore. He looked up to see Sirius and Peter standing a few feet away, tears falling down their cheeks. They watched as Moony stood and picked up Chris's lifeless body. Sirius led the way through the passage, followed by Remus and Chris, with Peter in tow. The three boys solemnly walked up to the front steps of the school, and Sirius opened the giant doors with all the strength he had left in him.

Remus headed to the Great Hall, everyone would be there for the day's final ceremonies by now. When he walked into the room, everyone froze and turned to look. The younger students panicked at the sight, while many of the older ones began to cry when they realized something had happened to Chris. Not a single person had ever disliked Christiana - well, maybe a few Slytherins, but mostly she had been a friend to all. When he got to the long table where Dumbledore sat, Remus placed Chris's body on the ground. He tried to blink back tears, but it was impossible, he couldn't stop them as he took one last look at her. Remus turned around and walked back out of the golden room, his eyes staring blankly at the ground in front of him the whole length of the hall as Dumbledore charmed away the mess of blood and Madame Pomfrey rushed to Christiana's body.

**AN: What do you think? Too graphic? Not enough? Did Remus react properly? Any feedback is encouraged! And if you didn't review the last chapter, would you be willing to go back and check out the AN I added? Thanks to all my readers and followers! :)**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chpt. 28 - A Honeymoon Cut Short/Fourth Floor, Spell Damage

James kissed his wife and smiled. He had never been more sure of anything in his life - not pranks, not school, not even Quidditch. Lily was the girl of his dreams, and his dreams were his only reality. Lily was thinking the same thing. James picked her up and swung her around. She laughed as her pale arms tightened around his neck. A few days after leaving Hogwarts, they were walking hand in hand in a park. It was in a small wizarding town in eastern Illinois. A young man with a camera walked up to them and asked if he could take their picture, he was a new photographer and needed to build up a portfolio. Of course, they agreed. The small photoshoot left the couple giddy and bursting with flirtatious energy.

Dinner was next on the list. James pulled out a chair for his wife, and Lily sat down in the chair opposite the one he had just moved.

"Hey! This is your seat. Notice the gentleman that has kindly adjusted the chair for his lovely lady?"

"No, I don't see any gentlemen around here… sorry," she said with a smile.

James sighed and took the open seat across from her. Sometimes he could forget how stubborn she truly was.

"James, don't you feel bad, leaving them all behind like this?"

"Lillian, we have been gone less than a week. How can you be so worried? This is our honeymoon. Suck it up and enjoy it like a man! Erm… woman. Beautiful woman."

"I suppose so… I just can't help feeling like something is wrong. Can we floo them tonight, just to make sure everything's alright?"

"As long as after they reassure you, you let me do some reassuring you of my own," James answered suggestively.

"If they reassure me, that is, Potter. If and only if!"

As they returned to their cabin room for the night, they found a sleek barn owl rattling at the window, banging and squawking. Lily quickly opened the window and took the letter from it's leg. She opened it and sat down on the bed, her expression shocked. She had really been hoping her inkling was wrong. James sat down next to her, placing his arm around her waist. He grabbed the letter from the paralyzed Lily with his other hand and read it. When he looked back up from the piece of parchment, Lily's face had gone completely white. She leaned her head against James's chest for a few moments, before getting up, grabbing her things, and apparating off to Hogsmeade. James snagged his broom and followed suit. From Hogsmeade, they flew to Hogwarts, scared of what was awaiting them. Back in Illinois, a small, spotted owl sat tapping the window of their cabin bedroom, with a letter attached to her foot.

* * *

><p>"Where is she? How is she? Is she okay? Where's Marlene?"! Lily frantically asked Av.<p>

"Woah. Hold your horses, Lils. Uhm… Marlene…? She was taken to St. Mungo's awhile ago..." she replied questioningly.

Before Av could get a chance to ask Lily and James about Chris, they were already out of the Great Hall and off to the hospital. When the couple arrived, they rushed to the front desk and asked where they could find Marlene Macnair. But the receptionist said that no Macnairs registered there at the moment. Lily asked instead about Marlene McKinnon. She was on the fourth floor - Spell Damage, in ward 34. The newlyweds ran into the elevator and impatiently waited for it to rise. When they found Marlene's room, Lily rushed in. There laid her best friend on a hospital bed, gazing into nothingness. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes resembled glass. Sirius was crashed out in a small armchair on the opposite side of the room. As Lily walked nearer, Marlene's eyes slowly adjusted to the presence the new bodies in the room.

"Lil's... it's you..."

"And James, too. Sweetie, what happened?"

"I... I'm not sure. I don't remember... All I know was that I was really upset… And then I was here..."

As Marlene's voice dwindled from fatigue, Lily looked down at her friend's hands. They were thin and fragile, and there was no wedding ring on her finger. Before she had a chance to ask anything else, Dumbledore appeared by Lily's side and politely excused her, James, and himself from Marlene's room. Once in the hallway, Dumbledore began to explain, from the information he had gathered from himself, Marlene, and her friends. He started by telling her and James what he had revealed to Marlene about the prophecy a few days prior. Then he went on to say how, when Walden had gotten his memory erased by Voldemort, the Death Eaters must have taken him with them, and told him an untruthful story of what had happened. Dumbledore could only assume that the poor boy had been brainwashed, and somehow Marlene had found out that Walden no longer remembered her. It was soon after that moment that she proceeded to erase her own memory. Sirius had found her in the Gryffindor common room that morning, unconscious. Madame Pomfrey transferred her to St. Mungo's immediately.

"The charm was powerful, but she seems to remember quite a lot. It is almost as if Miss McKinnon only forgot the things she wished to forget, including her marriage to Walden. If one person cannot recall a bond as strong as the binding of two wizard souls, the bond becomes broken. Since neither one of them can recall it, the marriage has been found null & void by the Ministry of Magic."

Lily gave a pained sighed, and spoke, "But Dumbledore, if they loved each other then, they can make it work again, right? We can help him remember!"

"Mrs. Potter, I am afraid I must caution you against telling Miss McKinnon the truth. In cases where a witch or wizard wants to forget something so badly that they risk everything they are to forget it, returning those memories can lead to deep depression and possible madness. In these troubled times, there may never be a chance to find Macnair, especially less of one to convince him of anything. And the memory loss charm was put on him by an evil and very, very powerful wizard. The effects are likely irreversible. If Marlene could not make him remember, there may not be much we could do. You may do as you wish, but I suggest sparing her the pain, so that she may move on, without knowing about the strong emotions she is currently missing."

At that moment, nurse opened the door and wheeled Marlene out on a bed and down the hallway.

"Where are you taking her, nurse?" Lily asked, surprised that her friend was being removed from her hospital room so soon.

"Results came in a few minutes ago, the Head Healer said Marlene is mentally stable enough to be removed from this ward, so I'm taking her to the maternity ward where they will make sure everything is alright with the baby."

"Baby?" Lily uttered in surprise. "What baby?"

"My baby, I guess," Marlene answered this question. "Lots of surprises today…"

Concern filled Lily;'s face and her brow furrowed with worry.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We'll figure it out, and I'll see you guys soon for coming to visit me, guys," Marlene responded.

"Albus, would you be kind enough to levitate the young man in the room over to the Friends and Family area? He's been through a lot today, and there are some beds over there. I think he'd be much more comfortable in one. Of course, we'll let him know where the girl is when he wakes up," the nurse asked.

"Of course, Silvia, my pleasure," Dumbledore answered as Marlene and her keeper vanished around the corner. Lily looked at James with a melancholy smile. Of course, she knew Marlene and Walden had wanted to start a family, but now Marlene was going to have the child of a man she had no recollection of. Dumbledore interrupted their exchange of facial expressions to add, "Well, now. I'm sure you'll want to return to the school to see Miss Eldritch. I will take Mr. Black to a red, and then go find Miss McKinnon to ensure she is pleased with her new surroundings. I'm sure I will see you again soon. Farewell, Mr. and Mrs. Potter."

Lily grabbed her husband's hand as Dumbledore returned to the room that held a sleeping Sirius. James's face was filled with alarm. Why would Dumbledore suggest they go to see Chris?

**AN - Please review! Seriously people, you have no clue how much reviews & comments mean to me! I would appreciate it so much if you took a few seconds to tell me one thing you liked, didn't like, or both, from this chapter! It would be so helpful! Again, thanks for reading! :) **


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chpt. 29 - The After

Laura sat in the Great Hall looking up at where Christiana's body had been. She couldn't believe it. First Marlene, and now this. It was awful. Completely awful. Laura had been in the very same spot since supper began. She had watched Remus as he carried her friend to the front. And sat in a whirl of emotions ever since. Before Laura knew it, Chris's body had been moved to the hospital wing to get her fixed up for the funeral, and everyone had left the Great Hall but her and Av. The two sat there, looking up at the floor, sparkling clean in reality, but bloodstained in their minds. Chris had been Laura's very first best friend, when they had met their 1st year at Hogwarts. Before then, she never really had someone to talk to for hours on end, someone to share her secrets with. Growing up, she never quite fit in with other girls. Guy friends were okay, but back then, most of them had cooties. And Laura knew she still couldn't even begin to feel the pain that Av was dealing with at the moment. Chris had been Av's best friend since birth. The two of them had grown up together; their mothers had attended Hogwarts together. And Av felt partially responsible for Chris's death. She had, after all, let her go after the guys, and didn't make enough of a fuss to get the professors' attention, who also felt the pain of guilt for Chris's death.

While Laura was lost in thought, Lily burst through the Great Hall doors. She was running. She was talking to Av. She was leaving. Av left to make sure Remus was okay. A few hours later, Lily burst in once more. She walked calmly up to the spot where Laura was, and took a seat beside her.

"Laura… do you want to talk about it?" Lily whispered solemnly.

Choking back tears, Laura relayed the sequence of events to Lily, and James who had come into the hall soon after his wife. The three of them huddled together in tears. After they composed themselves, they went up to the Gryffindor common room. The banners had turned from red and gold to black, and quiet students were strewn about the room. Lily, James, and Laura went up to the boys dormitory to find Av, Remus, Peter, and Sirius sitting on the floor, with Chris's notebook open on Moony's lap.

* * *

><p>Remus spent his entire summer at Hogwarts, and no one objected. In reality, quite a few petitioned for it. Ministry Officials came up with a cover story for Chris's death, but decided it was best to keep him contained for awhile before allowing him back into the public, not knowing what an emotionally damaged werewolf was capable of. Not that he would return to society right away afterwards, he planned on taking some time to get away from it all in some foreign country, in the wilderness, away from everyone he could hurt. He still woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, screaming for her to come back. Her cruel death haunted his every conscious and unconscious moment, but he would not allow himself to remember that way so easily. Instead, he focused his energy that summer on publishing her drawings and songs, and visiting her grave to sit and reminisce on the good memories they shared.<p>

Chris had been buried in the school garden, near the spot where Remus had revealed his secret. A rose bush was planted a few feet away from her. It grew remarkably fast, and when Remus went out to the garden on Chris's birthday, July 24th, he noticed that it had fully bloomed. The magical flowers were a brilliant teal blue; the exact color as Christiana's eyes. A tear rolled down Remus's cheek as he placed the stuffed giraffe next to her grave. When he stood up, he felt a sweeping brush of wind against his cheek, gentle and soft. Smiling, he whispered into the air, "I love you, too, Chris. I love you too..."

**AN: Like always, please review! I want to hear all of it - the good and the bad! Also, a lot of the chapters have been edited and updated. For example, it was pointed out to me that Bellatrix graduated Hogwarts a good 8 years before the Marauders attended, so her character has been altered in a couple of places. You''ll have to go back and find out for yourself what I did with her if you're curious enough!**

**One chapter left, although the story is far from being done. I will continue editing it and making it better, and I hope that my faithful readers will help me improve it, my FF baby. :)**

**Thanks for reading & reviewing!**


	30. Chapter Thirty

Chpt. 30 - The Birthday Party

"It's hard to believe your little Ellie is already two years old! She is growing up so fast…"

Anavia and Marlene sat at the oak table with party hats tied under their chins. Ellie was sitting a few feet away, eating a piece her birthday cake - chocolate with pink frosting and pink sprinkles and chocolate chips and strawberry pieces and a lot of other small treats Anavia couldn't quite place, as wide as two large turkeys and towering high over her head. She wondered who could possibly eat that much cake - she assumed Marlene must have been in the mood for sweets when she baked it. The dessert was the biggest one she had ever seen, but it was made for the smallest birthday party Anavia had ever attended.

After graduating Hogwarts, Laura and Av fell off the map. But many people did, with the war going on. Marlene only ever saw Lily and James when they showed up at the same battles as her. Mostly people went into hiding. The Death Eaters numbers were getting larger every day.

"Anavia… I know I've asked you before, but you don't remember who was at Lily's birthday party that Slughorn threw for her, do you?" Marlene inquired after a long period of thought-filled silence.

"Mar, I'm sorry. I'm not sure who her father is. I know you want to tell her someday, but with everything going on, maybe its best if we don't know," answered Anavia.

"Everytime I look at her, I feel a rush that I can't explain. Like her face brings back the happiest memories of my life… feelings of pure bliss… almost like her father was someone who really loved me… But I remember almost everything now except for this one important memory and I hate that I don't know… How could I let myself get so drunk that I allowed myself to get pregnant and have no wisp of an idea who the father is…?"

"Lots of parents get really happy when they look at their kids, Mar. It's called loving your children."

Marlene smiled at Ellie as she spoke.

"I know, and I do love her so very much. Everyday, I wish I could give her the world… But that's not it. It's not what makes me feel this way, it's impossible… I wish I remember… I used to think that maybe I kept her father a secret, and maybe he did love me as much as I feel like he did, and no one else but myself would know, you see? But then I think, why wouldn't he tell me who he is?"

"Like I said, Marlene. Who knows? Lots of different people do lots of different things for lots of different reasons. But I think its probably better this way. Not knowing. What if something happened that you didn't expect, and life grew worse for you and Ellie?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Marlene answered, sighing as Ellie wiped pink frosting through her fine, blonde hair.

A faint knocking came from the front door.

"Come on in! Door's unlocked!"

"Well that's not very safe of you! I'm locking it behind me," a voice called from the foyer.

"Sorry I'm late. I got held up at Mad Eye's," Sirius explained as he sat down at the table.

"Hello, Miss Ellie. Happy Birthday! How does it feel to be already two years old?"


End file.
